Herpy.nu is now closed and archived - will be replaced by something new and better.

Herpy has had a good 13 year run and will never be forgotten for those of us who experienced it. Sadly the site is today unappealing and is no longer fit for the audience of 2018. The gallery will remain operational until further notice. You can follow me on Twitter for further developments. We also have a Discord server which has become the heart of the community. If you wish to join it, send me a PM over Twitter.

It's been a while since I've last posted a story here, and I wanted to break that spell with a new story I've been working on. ^^ This story is a sequel to "The Desert Blade", but it's not necessary to read that story to understand what's going on here.

This story will contain explicit scenes between a male and female dragon, and here is the first chapter.

Asha gazed over the ocean, the vast horizon sprawled out in front of her like a painting. Waves crashed at the cliffside below, and saltwater sprayed up into the air like a fine mist. The wind carried it to her in a gentle breeze. She had grown to love the scent of the brine and the feeling of the mist clinging to her feathers. It brought a cool, relaxing sensation to her while she bathed in the hot desert sunlight.

When she was here, it felt as if time stopped. The only indication she had of it passing was the ships sailing out to sea or coming into the harbor to dock. If she stayed long enough, then she would watch the moon rise over the ocean until the sun had set behind her, or if she was here early enough, she’d watch the sunrise instead—though she preferred watching the moon.

This was her place of solitude, somewhere that she could feel free. It was at least a league away from the city: far enough that she couldn’t hear the crowds of people, the hustling of feet, the yelling, shouting, and fighting, or her three younger brothers that constantly bickered between one another—none of that. All she could hear in this place was the quiet serenity of the ocean waves, and sometimes the cawing of the gulls. Here, she belonged in her thoughts.

She found this treasure almost by fate. It was if it called to her from the sky one day, like a beckoning embrace from a loved one. She didn’t understand why she felt so content here, but she dared not to question it. This was her escape to another world, a less chaotic one.

“Asha.”

She stirred awake at a gentle nudge to her shoulder and gave a big yawn.

Did I really fall asleep again?

When she looked up, she saw Terrin’s fiery red scales standing above her, a smile curling his lips while his green eyes looked as soft as ever. She smiled back at him and stretched out before rising to her feet.

“How long have I been gone?” she asked. Her friend bumped into her and chuckled before his gaze wandered over the ocean, then down to the storm of crashing waves below. His toes clenched the edge of the rock she had been sleeping on.

“Oh, not very long. Maybe an hour. I came looking for you because I missed you,” he replied with a toothy grin. He always had a charming aura about him that Asha really liked. It was half a decade ago when they first met, and even then he had been confident, charming, and most certainly cute. Now, when she looked at him, she saw a mature dragon with brawny muscles and a handsome face to compliment them. He was a good potential mate, yet he never asked her to be with him. Truly, he was the perfect mate for her.

Asha giggled and nuzzled his snout. “Well, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.” Her tail curled around his as she leaned against his flank. A warm wing wrapped around her and tucked her close.

A deep rumble came from him. “Mmm… Well, that’s a shame,” he teased, “I wanted to go flying with you, but I guess this is okay, too.”

“And where would we go flying to?”

“Just… around,” he said absently.

A wide grin spread her lips. “Is there something you wanted to show me?” She could always tell when Terrin was hiding something from her. He didn’t hide things very well, and she almost saw the excitement in his eyes while his tail tended to sway a little faster. She guessed that he wanted to take her someplace private so they could have a little fun.

“Uhm… maybe! But I can’t tell you… You’d just have to uhm… find out, I guess,” he finished as he glanced away.

She laughed brightly and bumped into him. “Then why don’t you take the lead?”

He nodded and nuzzled her before stepping forward and leaping off the cliffside. Asha followed behind him and dropped down into the light mist below. For a brief moment, she felt weightless. When his red wings flared out, so did her feathery wings. They caught the wind and drastically slowed her descent until she skimmed across the water and surged forward, the momentum from her fall carrying her swiftly over the water. Then, Terrin banked upward to the left, so she did too, and she felt her weight shift to her tail end as she whirled around.

Their wings flapped almost in unison as they made the climb into the clear, deep-blue sky. The world beneath them seemed to grow smaller the higher they went toward the bright sun. A vast, sandy desert opened up to the western horizon, covering the land as far as the eye could see. To the north was the Scar, a deep gouge cut into the Earth by one of the gods’ crooked swords. A river split apart the land to the south, and it slithered like a snake far off into the distance, with small settlements speckling the riverside.

An hour passed as Asha and Terrin flew deeper into the desert. The shimmering ocean was barely visible behind them because of some tall rocks and sand dunes rising over the horizon. It seemed as if the whole world was covered in nothing but sand now. Without a strong sense of direction, it was very easy to get lost in the desert. Many inexperienced travelers fell victim to their own ignorance.

Every time she asked how much longer it would be, he would answer, “Just a little further.” That went on for about another couple leagues before he said, “Almost there!” He tilted his wings and dove down.

Asha glided behind him with her black-feathered wings outstretched. Below them a patch of green broke the monotony of the white sand. It was a rare color in the desert, and the only time Asha ever saw anything green was when she flew over the palace district, where there were small trees and gardens planted there. Here, it was a cluster of dense foliage that crept in as close to the source of water as it possibly could, thriving beautifully.

They landed just outside of it over a large rock. Sand squished beneath Asha’s toes before she stepped on solid but soft ground and pushed her way through the dense undergrowth behind Terrin. She was surprised this oasis didn’t get buried in the sand, but the rock behind them must have protected it from the harsh winds that usually came from the east.

A large pool of crystal-clear water opened up in the center of the oasis, the only source for the plants’ survival. Leaves from the tall trees shaded the area. Compared to the searing wasteland surrounding them, the oasis felt rather cool: a welcoming feeling. Asha stepped up to the pool and looked down to see her reflection smiling back at her.

Two silver-blue eyes stared curiously at her, surrounded by tiny, silvery feathers lining her eye-sockets. Her crest of silver feathers trailed between her two white horns down her neck. From her snout to her silver-feathered tail-tip was nothing but soft, black feathers that covered her body. Not once in her life had Asha met another feathered-dragon. Her mother, Vespera, said that she and her father were the only ones she ever saw, too.

My father…

“Pretty cool, huh?” Terrin asked, beaming. “I found it when I was out playing with my friends.”

Asha swiped away her reflection before she got caught up in her thoughts again and splashed water at him. He flinched and covered himself with his wings, chuckling.

“Yes, it is pretty cool. It’s actually very beautiful…” She looked around at all of the vibrant colors from the different species of plants and flowers. It was hard to imagine that there were other places in the world that looked like this all of the time. Oases were truly gems in the rough.

“Not as beautiful as you,” he said, stepping closer to her. It felt like his green eyes were looking into her soul, an invasion of privacy that she didn’t mind. Not when it was him. She reached up and touched the spotted black scales of his cheek and smiled back at him.

Whenever they were alone together like this, she always felt this warmth in the back of her mind. It was comforting—relaxing. She felt like she could put all of her trust into him and be happy… truly happy. Terrin would never hurt her, and he would always be her solid rock. He was her best-friend.

Just her best-friend.

She sighed and turned her head away, taking a step back as she looked into the clear water again. Now that she was older, she wanted more than just a friendship. She wanted a mate. She wanted someone she could spend the majority of her life with, if not her entire life. Terrin always seemed like more than a friend to her, but he never asked her to be his mate, as tradition followed.

Maybe I should ask him myself. Damn traditions.

”Is something wrong, Ash?”

But she was scared to. What if he didn’t feel the same way? What if she ruined their friendship because of it? She shook her head and bared a fake smile at him. “No, everything’s fine. Why don’t we go explore for a bit?”

He scrutinized her before nuzzling into her neck. “You can tell me.”

“No, really. I’m feeling just f—”

“Asha…”

She sighed and turned her head the other way. “What are we, Terrin?”

“What do you mean?”

“If we aren’t mates, then what are we?” she asked and looked at him. It was a question that had been eating at her for some time.

He stared silently at the ground next to her.

“Every time I look at you, I don’t see a friend or a best-friend; I see my mate. I see someone who genuinely cares about me and someone I genuinely care about. I feel giddy when I’m around you. You make me happy… And I hope I do the same for you. But I just…”

Terrin glanced at her and took another step closer. “You ‘just’ what?”

She clenched her claws into the dirt and let out a deep breath. “I’m just tired of not knowing how you feel about me… Am I just another dragoness to you?”

He bumped snouts and then wrapped his wings around her. Asha clenched her teeth and pinched back tears that threatened to spill, and then she nuzzled down his neck and buried her muzzle into his shoulder.

“Far from it, Asha. I love you.”

It felt like Asha’s world suddenly crumbled to pieces before it reformed itself anew. It felt like a thousand waves thrashed against her chest before there was a sudden calm in the storm. There was a long silence. Her throat felt like it would burst from all the words she wanted and tried to say, but nothing would come out.

All it takes is three words to rattle my mind, she mused.

And finally, the only words she managed to squeeze past her tight throat were, “Y-you do?” She felt like an idiot. Out of everything she wanted to say, the feelings she wanted to reciprocate by telling him she loved him too, she asked, ‘you do?’

She wanted to scream.

Terrin giggled and affectionately rubbed his snout with hers. “You don’t believe me?” Their eyes met, and in that brief moment she saw that he was vulnerable, that his heart was laid open before her.

Before Asha could explain her stupidity, he pressed their lips together, and she melted. He kissed her and mouthed over her lips as she started to mouth back. Her eyes shut as she lost all cognitive thought and reacted purely on instinct. Their maws locked together after he tilted his head, and his tongue pushed into her muzzle. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, too, and they half-curled together while sliding against another.

Asha lost herself in their kiss. They had never once kissed before—it was something that mates would do. It was a special moment that was meant to be shared between two lovers, a physical display of love.

And we’re finally kissing…

His paws guided her body down onto her back. She tucked her wings in close and laid herself down into the thick grass next to the pool. Terrin lay between her inviting, open legs and pressed his underbelly against hers, his warm scales sliding against her soft feathers. She held him against her and wrapped her forearms around his torso while closing her hind legs over his rump with her thighs gripping his flanks. When he rolled his hips into her, she sucked in a shuddering breath and felt his hard flesh grind between her legs.

Over the last couple of years, she and Terrin had mated countless times. They did it for the fun and pleasure, to enjoy one another. She knew how he felt against her and how good it was to share her body with him. She was comfortable with him.

But here and now, it felt different. It felt too good to be true, like the stars had aligned perfectly for this moment. Her emotions were calm yet excited, her body relaxed yet tingling with anticipation. She wanted this more than anything, and it appeared that he did too.

It’s like we’re mating for the first time again.

Terrin could hardly contain himself as he pushed his hips firmly against hers and groaned into their passionate kiss. His arousal smeared over her delicate feathers while his flesh rubbed against her hot, wet slit. His thick scent filled his nostrils and drove her senses wild.

Asha’s paws stroked up and down his neck as they kissed, sometimes caressing his cheeks and holding his head. With a soft gasp, she felt him gently push his flesh inside her and spread her open. He quickly slid deep inside her until he bottomed out, his cock buried in her velvety depths. They tied at the hips, bodies entwined. A hot blush warmed her face as she shared her love with him, kissing him and embracing him.

Their breaths unified with their moans of pleasure. They fit perfectly together like two pieces to a puzzle, conjoined at the hips. And then Terrin started rolling his hips again, grinding against her in the throes of his passion. Asha sucked in a lusty breath and felt her feathers puff out as her body shuddered. She felt his length push and slide against her soft, slick folds, a familiar pressure nestling into her. Her toes curled with pleasure, and she groaned into their kiss.

They exchanged soft, tender pants through their locked maws, both of them lost in arousal while their tongues wrestled. Terrin started to slowly push in and out of her, and their bodies rocked together against the ground. With a deep moan, Asha felt pleasure building inside her as his cock rubbed against her sensitive walls, stretching them as they clenched around his flesh. Warmth flowed through her loins and traveled up her spine to build in the back of her skull.

Terrin finally broke their kiss after letting it linger another moment longer. He nuzzled her cheek and moaned into her ear before kissing down her neck. She stretched her neck out to him with a quiet groan and felt his lips suckling on her soft feathers, trailing down to the base of her neck. She grasped his shoulders tightly and kneaded into them while he rocked into her body.

His cock slipped in and out of her vent. It spread her open as he pushed in, and her muscles would squeeze around him as he pulled out. The ridges on the underside of his shaft dragged across her entrance and made her tail swish rapidly back and forth. Moans elicited from her lips in encouragement while Terrin moved faster and harder. He kissed and slathered his tongue up and down her neck as his hips patted against hers.

It was a constant ride of pleasure. Each thrust would send trembles through her, and she would elicit her pleasure to him in a soft moan or coo. He would grunt and groan back to her while he took her body.

“Don’t… don’t stop…” she moaned between breaths. “It feels so good…”

“I—mmmm—don’t plan… on it…”

Then, Asha felt her orgasm building. It started in her hind paws, her toes flexing and curling tightly before it trailed up her legs and through her thighs. Her loins felt so warm and hot as a small pressure welled just past her clitoris inside her passage.

“Aa-aah, T-Terrin! I’m close…”

Terrin grunted and continued at his steady pace of thrusting into her, pushing her body into the grass. “Gwwrrrrrrr! I am t-too…”

Asha sucked in a deep breath and moaned loudly, that pressure nearly ready to burst as warmth tingled through her body. She listened to his pants, grunts and growls, knowing that he was almost ready to cum inside her. She laid her head back and submitted to him, eagerly receiving every thrust he made until she let her orgasm trickle through her like a stream of ecstasy.

“Oooohhh! Terrin!” she moaned. Her walls clamped down on his cock and started milking it, pulsating rapidly around his flesh that continued to slide in and out of her. Her muscles tugged on it and tried to coax his seed to fill her with his virile essence. Undulating waves of burning pleasure washed over her and drowned her in bliss.

She felt the powerful throbs of his length before warmth seeped into her passage. Mixed with the finale of her orgasm, it sent her mind in a world of sheer delight. His snout rested against hers as he panted and gasped for breath. He spent his load inside her, his seed painting her walls and filling her more with each throb.

Asha tried to catch her breath, too, with her chest rising and falling. Her paws caressed his smooth scales as she rode out the rest of her climax, her head swimming with pleasure. His hard cock rested inside her, spilling the last of his cum.

“Mmmmm… that felt amazing, Ash,” he said between breaths.

“It… it did,” she agreed. She kissed his cheek, and then he kissed her lips. With a coo, she kissed him and twined her tongue with his. Terrin pulled away soon after and nuzzled into her neck with a content sigh.

Asha purred and hugged around him, basking in the afterglow with him. “I love you, too,” she finally said, and she full-heartedly meant it. “Does this mean… that we’re mates now?”

He chuckled and pushed his hips into her, making her grunt as his softening length moved inside her. “I kind of thought we already were,” he admitted. He looked into her eyes with a soft expression. “Titles are just titles… I didn’t know you were worrying about that or I would have said something much sooner.”

“You thought we were already mates!?”

He grinned sheepishly and nodded. “You remember when I got you this ring?” he asked and touched the silver band that matched two anklets above her hind paws. “That’s when I considered you my mate.”

“But we never kissed or anything, and that was almost a year ago! Why didn’t you say anything? Like, ‘Hey, I love you and want to be your mate’? Or ‘Hey, let’s be mates’?” she teased. “You thought giving me a ring would signify our courtship?”

He laughed and nodded again as he pulled away from her. His flesh returned to his sheath, but Asha still felt warm and wet between her legs. He cooed into her ear and lay behind her before wrapping her in his wings and tucking her against his underbelly. She purred deeper and held the forepaw grasping her chest while their tails curled together.

“When humans desire a mate, they provide a piece of dowry to the one they love, typically a ring.”

“They also get down on one knee and profess their love to their loved one as they present it!” she added.

“I’ve said that I love you before…”

“I thought you meant it in a friendly way!”

“Well, I uhm… didn’t really know how to ask you! I thought the gesture would be enough.”

Asha giggled, a bright smile painted across her lips. “You’re ridiculous. I seriously can’t believe you right now.”

“Happy one-year anniversary?” he said hopefully and nuzzled into the back of her neck.

Asha grumbled but she couldn’t break the smile across her muzzle. She let out a hefty sigh and looked around the lush oasis while she was snuggled tight in his arms. She wished she could stay like this forever. It was quiet except for the insects she could hear chirping or buzzing, and the water was completely still. She wondered if anyone else knew about this place.

“I should get back to my mother soon,” Terrin said. He stroked her soft feathers and squeezed her tail with his. “I’ve been gone too long.”

“It’s only been a few hours,” she replied. “Don’t worry so much.”

“She needs me, Ash. By the time I get back it’ll be longer than a few hours.” He shifted and let go of her, much to her disappointment. She stood up and nuzzled him as they walked out of the oasis and back into the arid desert. The evening sun beamed down on them, just as hot as it was at noon.

They took off together and angled back to the east. What looked to be a sandstorm brewed ahead of them on their right, and she hoped it wouldn’t hit their city. Sandstorms were vicious for those who couldn’t fly above them, and they were usually devastating. The feral district was always hit with the worst because there weren’t any walls to protect the homes. But thankfully, the winds rarely came from the desert and most often came from across the sea.

The giant city soon came into sight. From the sky, it was easy to see each of the seven districts: the palace district was in the center of it all, and directly east of it was the market district; surrounding those two districts were the south, west, and north housing districts; and then the harbor district rested on the coast, with the feral district set off to the side of it. In the recent years, small, thin walls had been built to help segregate the districts even more. Stronger walls were built around the market district, surrounding it completely so the only way in by foot was through a guarded gate, to help deal with thieves—though to any one that could fly, they were hardly a deterrent.

The feral district was the poorest district, and that much was evident even from the sky. Housing conditions were deteriorating at best, and many ferals lived in tents along the outskirts of the district because it was all they could afford. To most of the two-legs and humans, ferals were just beasts, so finding occupations were nearly impossible, if it wasn’t for the hard dock-work labor that was available, which only paid a couple silvers for a whole day of labor; and even then, not everyone could work.

Asha considered herself lucky because her mother had received a small fortune from her father that has kept their family alive and well-fed ever since she was a hatchling.

Asha grimaced as her thoughts roamed to her father again.

“Asha?” Terrin nudged her snout. Worry-lines were etched into his brow. They were standing together just outside his house, in the heart of the feral district. It was a stone building made out of thin, solid slabs of sandstone, much like all of the other homes in the district.

“Oh, sorry… Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you around,” she said absently.

“You were thinking about him again,” he said. He nuzzled her and hugged her with his wings.

“How do you not think about your father?” she asked. She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Because I know he’s a slimy scumbag who deserves the worst kind of misfortune to befall him,” he answered with a bitter taste. “It’s easier for me to forget about him when I believe that full-heartedly.”

Asha frowned and nodded. She hated her father too. She hated him for leaving her and her mother alone. She hated his guts and almost wished he was dead, like her mother believed.

Almost…

But she truly wanted to see him… to ask him why he left. She wanted to know the truth, and she wanted to know who he really was. If he wanted to leave them, then why did he leave a satchel filled with gold and a toy plush she still had from when she was just a hatchling. Was it guilt? Did he feel bad about leaving them? If that was true, why didn’t he just stay?

“Try to talk to your mother,” Terrin said. “I know she has refused to explain anything to you in the past, but maybe now that you’re older she’ll tell you something.”

“Maybe. Thanks, Terrin.” She rubbed her snout with his, and then he kissed her. She smiled when their muzzles parted and looked at him adoringly. “I’ll come back later?”

He met her smile and nodded. “See you soon.”

Asha turned and began her walk home. It wasn’t very far, and her wings were rather sore, but she mostly wanted the time to think of questions to ask her mother. She passed by dragons, gryphons, wolves, and felines, but she didn’t pay them any attention.

When she finally returned home, dusk had settled, and the horizon was painted with a brilliant, orange glow. She could already hear her brothers wrestling around before she even stepped inside.

Her mother was lying on her bed, resting her eyes as she curled up in the corner—Asha was always impressed with how she could relax when her siblings were always so loud and rambunctious. The three of her younger brothers seemed to be fighting over who got to play with which toy. From oldest of six years to the youngest of three and two, it went Rikon, Mikal, and Silo.

Mikal and Silo shared the same father, her mother’s current mate, Neil. They looked similar to each other, the color of their scales a shimmering gold mixed with stripes and blotches of black from her mother. Rikon had an emerald shade of color except for his black snout-tip and socks, as well as some silver etchings along his haunches.

Vespera opened her eyes and looked up at Asha. “Welcome home, sweetheart.” She yawned widely and stretched out like a cat before sleepily ambling over to her daughter. “How was your day? Did you spend it with Terrin again? He came around looking for you, but I didn’t know where you were. I hope he found you!”

Asha nodded and nuzzled her mother. “He did find me. He showed me an oasis way out in the desert that he had found.”

“Oh, I bet that was exciting! Was it big? What did you do there?” Another big yawn escaped her maw.

Asha grinned and glanced away. It wasn’t like her mother didn’t know that she and Terrin were intimately close with one another, but it was still hard to talk about. “We explored around and looked at all of the plants. There were some really beautiful flowers.”

“I wish I could have been there,” she said. “I bet it smelled wonderful and full of life. Makes me wish sometimes that we lived elsewhere, in a big forest or something. That would be nice, wouldn’t it, Ash?”

She nodded vaguely and fidgeted on her paws. “Terrin and I are mates now. Well, I guess we kind of were already, according to him,” she quickly added.

“Oooh, gross!” Rikon shouted. The three siblings had stopped fighting and were now staring at them, in a cluster of scales, tails, and wings. “You guys were doing it!?”

Asha’s face flushed as she turned her head toward the whelp. “Hey! You’re not supposed to know about that stuff yet!” she scolded.

“What they doing?” Silo asked curiously. He was at the bottom of the pile, wiggling on his back.

“Sis wrestled with Terry like your dad does with our mom a lot,” he explained.

Her mother was wide-eyed and shaking her head. “N-no! Well… not on purpose! He must have caught us in our bedroom… I mean, there was this one time when Neil started to get frisky, but we took it to the bedroom and finished in there!”

“Aahh, I don’t need to know that!” Asha shook her head free from that mental image and held her paws against her ears.

“So you guys did do it!” Rikon accused and confidently nodded his head as he looked at his siblings. “She did it with Terry!” A tiny, white claw pointed at Asha.

“Rikon!” Asha shouted, flustered. She looked to her mother with an expectation, who was giggling and trying to hide the fact with her wing.

“What? You guys did do it, right?”

“Mom!” Asha whined and hid under her feathered wings. “You’re not helping!”

“It’s only natural!” she assured. “Besides, I like Terrin. He’s a sweetheart and I’m glad you two are mates; he’s good for you.”

“Asha and Terry, flying over the sea, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Rikon sang, which caused the other two siblings to giggle and join in.

“You shut your maws before I shut them for you!” Asha growled and hunched over like she was ready to pounce on them. The three of them squeaked and scrambled away before jumping through the open windows. She sighed and turned back to her mother as they went outside.

“Before you ask: no, we are not planning on having any hatchlings yet,” she said with a grin. “These three are already too much.”

Her mother chuckled and sat down next to Asha. “I don’t blame you, sweetie. Only Mikal and Silo were planned, but I’m glad I have Rikon too. He’s a good older brother.”

Asha squinted at her. “What about me? Was I planned?”

She glanced at her and then looked at the ground with a pause. “Yes, more or less.”

Asha hoped her mother would say more so she didn’t have to ask, but for once Vespera was short for words. A gnawing feeling ate at Asha’s gut.

“I uhm… I wanted to know… Terrin said I should ask you about—you know,” she said and shifted her wings. “You’ve never told me the full story.”

Vespera gave a heavy sigh and bared a weak smile at her. “Your father?”

She nodded her head. “What was his name? What did he look like? Was he nice?”

She chuckled and looked her up and down. “His name was Blade. He looked a lot like you: black feathers all over, brilliant, stunning eyes, white claws and horns. But he had a lot of golden feathers instead of your beautiful silver coloring.” She touched Asha’s shoulder and traced over a swirling, silvery design etched into her feathers. “These markings were from him and not me, even though I’d like to take credit. He was a sweetheart, that’s for sure.”

“Is that what made you like him so much?” she asked curiously.

“Well, I thought he was rather exotic, and it was a lot of fun watching him come out of his shell… but he and I weren’t lovers like Neil is to me. He uhh… he had a different lover.” Her mother looked guiltily down between her paws.

“Oh, so…” Asha searched for what her mother meant, but no words came to mind.

“You had two fathers, Ash,” her mother stated. “I was never meant to be your guardian… I was a surrogate.”

Asha’s eyes widened. “O-oh… I had two dads?”

Her mother nodded and laughed nervously. “I was actually in love with your father’s mate. It’s how we met. I’ll spare you the details of how you were conceived, but Akir was just as much of a father to you as Blade was.”

“Akir? Why didn’t you ever tell me this?” she questioned. “Did he abandon me too, then? I might not have ever been your daughter if I didn’t get abandoned?”

Vespera shook her head. “They didn’t abandon you… at least, I don’t believe they did. They loved you, Ash—I believe that. I love you too, and I’m happy that you’re in my life, despite the circumstance.” She looked at her daughter with a soft, adoring expression and laid a forepaw on top of hers.

Asha followed her mother and lay down beside her. At the same time that she was excited to learn more about her fathers, the way her mother sounded and looked was discouraging. A paw closed around Asha’s again as their eyes met. Her dark-blue eyes were missing that vibrant glow that was usually there.

Asha gulped.

“I don’t know what happened, Asha. Honestly. That night that you were returned to me… It was… heart-wrenching. You were covered in blood, and I’m not sure whose. It was storming and I heard a loud knock at the door. I opened it only to find you there, crying, soaked in blood and rain. There wasn’t anyone else.”

Asha peered at her paws, pondering. What does that mean? My parents were already dead? Then where did the satchel come from with all the treasure? I had to have been dropped off, just like the satchel—but by my father or Akir? Why can’t I remember either of them!?

Vespera continued, “When the storm cleared up, I went to see Blade and Akir, but when I got to their home, I saw that it had been ravaged. A giant pool of blood spilled across their doorway and into the street and… and I…” She winced and turned her head away. “Behind the back of the house was a fresh grave, but I didn’t know whose, and I wasn’t going to dig it up. All I knew that one of them was dead, and if it was your father, I know for certain that Akir would have leveled the entire city until a killer was found—if it even was a murder. Despite his nature, Blade would have probably done the same thing, which is why I think that they’re both dead. I looked and I waited… and waited…” She mumbled something.

“Then what about the gold from the satchel? Where did it come from?”

She shrugged her wings. “It was almost a year later, and I can’t be certain that it was either of them. It could have been a coincidence.”

Asha shook her head. “No, it wasn’t a coincidence. My toy dragon was inside that satchel. I know it was one of them, which means one of my fathers might still be alive.”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up, Ash. I never told you any of this because I wanted you to forget; I wanted to protect you. I’m worried you’ll go try to find them and get yourself into trouble; there has to be a reason why there was blood shed.”

Asha gritted her teeth and dug her claws into the bedding. Her mother was right. A long pause drew the room into silence. Outside, her three brothers were flying and playing around.

“What was Akir like?” she finally asked.

“He was strong and intelligent,” her mother said with a small smile. “Your biological father acted more like the female in their relationship, and it was kind of cute. They were perfect together… It made me jealous, but I knew they were both very happy.”

I wish I could have met them…

Asha couldn’t remember a single moment from her earliest months. When she was younger, she remembered having flashes of nightmares that would terrify her. Now, she couldn’t remember what they were about, but in her heart she knew it was from that night. She repressed her memories, the only ones she had of her fathers.

The door to their home opened and interrupted Asha’s thoughts, and the sound of cheerful whelps growling and squeaking filled the room. Her brothers were climbing all over Neil, who was chuckling and licking whichever dragonet he could reach.

“They’re certainly wound-up today!” he said, grinning horn to horn. At his flank was a leather bag stuffed with food, and it wasn’t long before Mikal started digging through it.

“What you get!” he shouted.

Neil rumbled and took the satchel off and set it down so the three brothers could get into it. They scrambled about and soon mewled triumphantly as each one of them took out a hunk of meat. Meanwhile, Neil walked over to Asha and her mother, though he mostly ignored Asha.

“How are you, my love?” he asked and nuzzled Vespera.

Not even a glance at me, Asha thought with a sigh. Neil seemed like a good father to her brothers and a good mate to her mother, but he was otherwise indifferent to her. Asha felt the same way about him. As she grew up, she had watched plenty of males woo her mother over. He was just another drake that may end up leaving her in another year.

Asha hated the thought of that.

But she was happy that he treated Rikon like one of his own. The dragonet was still young enough that any father-figure was good enough for him, especially since his own father didn’t stick around for long at all after finding out Vespera was carrying his egg.

“I’m fine, handsome,” her mother said and kissed his cheek. “How was the market? What’d you buy?”

“Crowded as usual. I picked you up some fresh fish, if one of the younglings doesn’t eat it first,” he said.

“Oh, good! I am starving. I haven’t eaten all day,” she said as she hurried over to the bag and pulled out her meal wrapped in a neat package. The three whelps were already tearing into their meals.

“I got you fish too,” he said to Asha. “I figured if your mother loves it, you might like some too.”

Asha bared a small, friendly smile at him and dipped her head in thanks. She didn’t like or hate fish, but she gladly shared some with her mother to get her fill. Her mother made idle conversation the entire time, but truthfully Asha hardly heard any of it. She’d give terse responses while her head was filled with thoughts of her fathers.

After she was finished eating, she excused herself and decided to go back to Terrin with her newfound knowledge. She couldn’t wait to tell him what she found out from her mother, but there was still a queasiness buried in her stomach that a meal couldn’t fix.

What if my dad is still alive? Do I still hate him?

From what she knew now, it didn’t sound like her father would have just abandoned her… there would have had to have been a good reason, right?

Asha sighed and knocked on Terrin’s door.

He smiled at her glowingly and invited her inside. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said. “I was starting to miss you again.”

His home was small and cozy, but it managed to fit three rooms inside it. Asha’s house had four separate rooms, and it was one of the more expensive homes one could find in the feral district, bought with the money her father had given them—supposedly. Considering how poor most of the ferals were, Terrin and his mother were doing well for themselves to be able to live here.

She giggled and nuzzled into him. “I was starting to miss you too,” she cooed. “How is your mom?”

He sighed and glanced into the other room. “She’s not improving. It’s been four months, and I think it’s only getting worse. Her scales aren’t growing back.” He talked quietly beneath his breath so his mother wouldn’t hear him.

“Well, you just got the medicine last week,” Asha said. “It probably takes time to work, right?”

Terrin looked worried. “Maybe…”

She hugged him with her wings and caressed him with her soft forepaws. “She’ll be okay, Terrin.”

“Yeah.” His attention returned to her before he kissed her lips. “I can’t thank you enough for buying the medicine. I’ll repay you someday.”

She kissed him back and rubbed her snout with his. “I already told you not to worry about it. My mother was more than happy to have the chance to help someone else with that money.”

He grunted, obviously still planning on ways to pay her back. “Did you tell your mom about us?” he asked.

Asha chuckled and nodded. “How could I not have?”

“And what did she say?” He grinned and licked the feathers around her ears.

Asha giggled and tried to escape his wet licks. “She’s happy for us. She seems to like you a lot because she said you were good for me, but I don’t believe her,” she teased. “You’re a bad influence on me!”

Terrin rumbled and started licking down her neck. “Oh, is that so?”

Asha shuddered as her crest flared. “Mmmm, yes…” She loved it when he would lick her neck. It pressed a lot of buttons, and he knew that by the way she would croon and purr. And when she would stretch it out and expose it to him so he’d hit all of those sensitive places…

She let out a soft gasp and pulled away, a blush at her cheeks. “N-not when your mother is in the other room.”

He smirked and licked her nose. “She’s asleep now. Why don’t we go to my bedroom?”

The thought was so very tempting. She wanted him, and she knew he was just as excited. “I told you you were a bad influence,” she huffed. “That’s just awkward… What if she wakes up and hears us?”

“We’re just doing what mates do,” he said and kissed her cheek. “But you’re right, it would be awkward… Let’s go find somewhere nearby, then.”

It was what they always did when they wanted to mate. They’d normally search along the coast to find a private, secluded area. This time it was a small spot behind some rocks along the empty shoreline; no one would see them here unless they flew directly above. Asha didn’t like it as much as some of their other places because the water would seep onto the beach and get her paws all wet, but tonight the tide was low and her lust was brimming.

Terrin rubbed up against her, rumbling as she purred. He doted her neck with the sensuous licks of his tongue while she turned her head and stretched it out to him. Then, she stepped forward and lifted her tail, presenting to her mate, who wasted no time in securing his mount. He climbed over her, wrapped his forearms around her torso and pinned her down with his heavier weight.

Asha cried out to him and submitted to her drake as he mounted her. She felt him prodding and poking beneath her tail until he slipped inside and began thrusting, lost in his lust. With her legs spread wide, she let him take her body and push into her, heavy and fast. They rocked together, groaning, growling, and panting like animals.

It felt so good to just let instincts take over, to let her desires be fulfilled in a quick, lustful ride of pleasure. Each time he slipped inside she would feel his hard length spread her open, and she would stretch around him tightly. He mated her like the ebb and flow of the sea, thrusting in and out, pushing and pulling as his cock squeezed inside her and slipped right back out again.

And finally, there was that blissful release that made her legs tremble with ecstatic delight. The ache in her loins would disappear as a warm, pleasurable, tingling sensation took its place and trickled up and down her spine. Terrin’s moans joined hers in a lusty harmony, and he claimed his dragoness and marked her with his seed. After they had reached the pinnacle of ecstasy, they collapsed together, tied at the hips.

“Mmmm… Gods, Terrin... You really couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

He grunted and shifted against her as he nuzzled into her feathers. “Not when I have such a beautiful and sexy mate,” he chirred. “I hope I wasn’t too rough.”

“It was perfect,” she said, grinning. “I can’t believe you still had all that left in you after we already did it earlier today.”

“There’s still plenty more where that came from,” he cooed and playfully pushed into her with his softening length.

Asha smiled at him and had him pull out of her so they could cuddle together on their sides. It was a gorgeous night: the moon was rising up over the sea, and millions of tiny, bright stars were sprawled out behind it, like sparkling diamonds. Waves gently washed up onto shore ahead of them, but a large slab of rock blocked their view of the open ocean. A cold breeze of air blew in from the east and made Asha want to retreat into her feathers.

Terrin seemed to feel a little chilly too because he was pressed right against her and pulled one of her wings over his red scales. A paw stroked her flanks, caressing her soft feathers. His touch always relaxed her, and being this close to him and his warm body was comfortable. Right now, it was just the two of them in their own little world.

“Have you ever thought about leaving, Terrin?” Asha asked as she looked up at the sky. “Just flying someplace else.”

He shook his head. “Not really. I don’t have much of a reason to… Why do you ask?”

She shrugged her wings. “We live in such a harsh environment, and in a city that doesn’t want us. I’m sure there are better places out there. Places with color and friendly faces. Trees, plants, animals… All we have here is sand.” She grabbed a pawful of it and let is sift between her digits. “The people here are just as coarse as the sand, too.”

“You’re not wrong,” he agreed. “But even if I wanted to, I couldn’t leave my mother or my friends behind.”

Friends, she thought glumly. I’ve never really had any friends.

Aside from her family and Terrin, Asha didn’t talk to anyone else. She had a couple friends when she was younger, but since she started hanging around Terrin, she hadn’t seen hide or tail of them. She considered his friends to be her friends too, though she didn’t seek their company.

“My mother isn’t fit to travel, either,” he added. “Maybe someday I can travel again… We could travel.”

Asha looked over at him and saw a warm, loving expression filling his face. He took one of her forepaws in his and squeezed it.

“I’d like to see the world with you,” he said softly.

Butterflies fluttered in Asha’s belly and squirmed inside her chest. She twined her tail around his and kissed him.

“Someday, then,” she said with a nod. “Then maybe we could start a family.”

Terrin rumbled and looked at her thoughtfully, but he didn’t confirm nor deny that he wanted to have a family. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, “Did you learn anything about your father?”

Asha wanted to pursue the idea of a family further, but she decided that they had all the time in the world to talk about that, and now wasn’t the time.

“Apparently my dad liked other males,” Asha said with a small giggle. “I actually had two fathers and not just one.”

“Oh, that’s rather peculiar,” Terrin responded. “So… wait, then why did he and your mother…”

“She was a surrogate for him and his mate,” Asha explained. “I… She wasn’t supposed to raise me.”

“I see.”

“I’m glad she did, though,” Asha added. “I’m glad she’s my mom.”

“Me too, then,” he said kindly. “I think she raised you well.”

She grinned and bumped noses with him. “That’s just because you like me!”

“No, it’s because I love you,” he corrected with a chuckle. “Your mother is really nice, even if she is talkative. You talk a lot too, you know, and I can only assume you learned that from her.”

“Do I?” she wondered.

He rubbed noses with her and replied, “Sometimes!” His smile slowly faded while he looked at her. She rubbed his chest and rested her muzzle against his.

“Did she tell you what happened to him then? Is your other father still alive?”

Asha gave a soft sigh. “One of them is dead. That’s all she knows for certain. She thinks both of them are, but I’m positive that one of my fathers is alive. Who else would have left us all that treasure?”

Terrin’s expression shifted. “And you want to find him, don’t you?”

She winced. Is it that obvious?

“I want to know the truth. I want to know why he left me… I don’t feel like I’ll ever be satisfied until I meet him face-to-face.”

Terrin didn’t approve of that. He didn’t say so, but she could see it in his green eyes. She could see the pain his own father had put him through: the anger, the hatred. To him, her father was no different from his own.

“If I ever see him again, I’m going to rip his face apart,” he had said. “He never deserved to be with my mother. He doesn’t deserve me acknowledging that he’s my father.”

“You won’t find him,” Terrin said. “It’s been fourteen years, right? If he wanted to be found, you would have already.”

“I never will if I don’t try… But I don’t know where to begin.”

“He doesn’t want you, Ash,” he stated sternly. “Put it out of your mind… You’re only going to hurt yourself.”

Asha pinned her ears back and glanced away from him. She knew he was only trying to protect her, that he cared for her safety and well-being, but what he said cut deep. Inside her heart, she wanted to believe that her father still cared about her. The toy he brought her along with all those jewels, silver, and gold meant something. If her father didn’t care about her or her mother, then why would he have supplied enough money for them to live out their lives without him?

Terrin sighed and wrapped himself around her. “Sorry…”

She nuzzled his neck and hugged him back. “It’s okay. I understand, Terrin. I’ll… I’ll try to give it up.”

“If he cared for you, he would still be with you,” he said. “Maybe he did die and you’ll just spend your life wondering and looking for him. I want you to be happy, but I don’t think you’ll find it through your father.”

Asha nodded and slowly exhaled. “You’re right… You’re completely right.” Though she wanted to argue it, she felt like she was already defeated.

“I’ll do my best to make you happy. I’ll always be here for you.”

Their eyes met again, and in his face she saw his sincerity. She smiled and rubbed her snout against his. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” he responded and squeezed her tightly. “Let’s head back home. It’s late and my scales are about to freeze off.”

She giggled and nodded, letting him go so they could leave.

Asha thought about what he said. In every way, he was right—at least, that’s what her head told her. But her heart spoke differently. She wanted to find her father and she wanted answers, and she felt like this ache would never go away until she found a resolution…

If her father was still alive.

Last edited by Saber on September 14th, 2017, 8:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

(As a reminder, the reason I have a Dropbox link is so the story is properly formatted. But for ease of access, I also leave a version here without proper formatting, such as italics, which can be important in this story because of inner dialogue.)

► Show Spoiler

“Okay, so, I’ll look for decorations and curtains while you find us some food and an ice-box,” Asha said to Terrin. She had to speak above the noise of the marketplace, the most chaotic and loudest district in the city. Merchants everywhere were barking and advertising their wares while a countless number of citizens, ranging from all different species, ambled about to browse and shop.

“Then we can meet back at our house,” she finished. After a month of being mated to Terrin, her mother had offered to spend some of their fortune to buy a house for them in the feral district. Terrin reluctantly agreed—he said he would pay her back in full for every piece of gold she spent.

“After this, it’ll look much more homely,” he said and nuzzled her. “Maybe I’ll get a proper bed for us, too.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” she replied and smirked. “We’re almost finished furnishing the house; I don’t need you getting injured trying to move too many things around!”

“I won’t push myself… too hard,” he teased. “And you better not make our house look all frilly and pretentious!”

She scoffed and tapped him with her tail. “When have you ever known me to be excessive?”

He chuckled and gently hit her back. “I just don’t want you to get carried away, either!”

Asha giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek before she hopped away into the crowd. She walked down a wide, cobblestone street that had been worn down over the years of use. So much sand and dirt had been kicked up that the rocks were almost completely covered so that it looked like an ordinary dirt street. On either side of her were stalls, carts, and vendors. A frenzied sea of feet and paws flowed around her.

In the heart of the market district was a plaza lined with stalls like a maze. Tarps hung overhead to relieve anyone who walked under them from the scorching sun. It was much more crowded than the streets and at peak hours it was hard not to bump into anyone.

On her list were a few different items: curtains, tapestries, rugs, and some pots for some plants. It would be difficult for her to carry all of that, but that really depended on how many things she wanted! Her mother gave her plenty of money to spend to buy whatever she desired. She wouldn’t squander it all, but she was looking forward to buying the things that caught her eye. Finally, she had her own home, a private place for her and her mate, who she loved dearly.

Almost every merchant she visited had at least one thing she wanted, and soon her satchel was nearly stuffed full. She took two rugs and tied them beneath her so they wouldn’t interfere with her flight. She did the same with some curtains she found, and another blanket that she thought looked very comfortable. Aware that she looked ridiculous, she started looking for a place to take off so she could at least drop everything off and come back for some shelves that they also needed.

But before she could leave, she heard a voice squawking behind her. Curious, she turned to look and saw an orange and black-feathered gryphon weaving his way toward her.

“Blade!” he called after her, but then he stopped dead in his tracks as she turned her head. He looked at her with surprise and clacked his beak. “O-oh, so sorry! I thought you were someone else!”

He swiftly turned to leave, but Asha stomped down on his tail and grabbed it. “What did you call me?”

The gryphon squeaked and pulled his tail free, grabbing onto it and stroking where she stepped on him as he sat up. “Hey, that hurt! It’s not nice to grab someone’s tail!”

Asha scrutinized him. He was just an ordinary gryphon. The orange color of his feathers was darker at his torso and lighter at his hind end. Black markings speckled his face and covered his feline-like paws, and circular designs followed down his back between his wings.

“What did you say?” she pressed. She swore she heard her father’s name, but with all of the sounds around her, she wasn’t sure. That, and she admitted that she could just be crazy, since he’s been on her mind more often than not lately.

“I uhm… I uhhh…” he stuttered. He was nervous; Asha could easily see that much. “Slade! I said Slade. I’m looking for my uhm… gryphon friend named Slade. Have you seen him? He’s about this tall and this wide.” He used his paws as a guide to show her the size of his friend, who seemed to be about as tall and wide as he was. “Black feathers and such…”

She softened a little and stepped closer. “Sorry… I must have misheard you. Do you want me to help you find your friend?”

He adamantly shook his head and hopped back to his feet. “Nothankyou!” he spouted. “I gotta go!” He whirled around and sped away, diving back into the sea of people.

Asha watched him. He was a very peculiar bird, and a very nervous one, too. She didn’t talk to many gryphons, and they were known for being easily excited and high-maintenance, but he seemed especially twitchy—almost like he was hiding something. Asha knew that there was no way in the world he could have been connected to his father… but…

“Hey, you,” she stepped toward a young, lone dragon and handed him two gold pieces. “If you watch all of my things, I’ll give you three more gold pieces when I come back, if nothing is missing.”

He looked up at her like she was insane, but he nodded his head and took her items. She didn’t give him much of a chance to respond before she climbed on top of a building and leapt into the sky to find the orange gryphon. Since she wasted no time, she found him within minutes, still running through the crowd. He was heading toward the west gate, so she looked for a safe spot to land and chased after him.

Now, it was a game of stalking and learning. If her hunch was right, he would lead her to clues about her father. Before he walked through the east gate, he turned his head, as if to check if anyone was following him, and started to run again. The guards there paid him no attention and stood like toy figures.

Asha hurried after him, but the human guards quickly blocked her path, cutting her off with the poles of their halberds.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” one of them sneered.

“You seem to be tryin’ to slip past us awful quick,” another added.

Asha kept her cool the best she could, in spite of the fact that her lips quivered in a snarl. “I need to catch up to my friend: the gryphon who just ran through here.”

The same one that you didn’t even bat an eye at, when he’s entirely more suspicious than I am!

Asha growled and tried to stubbornly walk through, but they shoved her back with their weapons. With her teeth bared, she snapped at them before whirling around and storming off in the other direction. It was no use trying to argue with a human; they were more obstinate than dragons.

She grumbled and found an alley to cut into so she could safely fly over the wall without the guards noticing. As long as she was compliant to their faces, they wouldn’t give her more trouble in the future. Since she was the only feathered-dragon in the city, it was easy for everyone to recognize her—which in her mind was a curse.

And that was entirely the reason she so desperately needed to find the gryphon again. No one has ever mistaken her for someone else before. In no way, shape, or form did she look like a gryphon named Slade.

No, whoever he was looking for looks like me… Even if it is just another feathered dragon and not my father, I’m still interested in finding some answers.

She flew over the Eastern housing district, scanning between the clusters of houses. Occasionally, she would steal a glance in the sky to try and spot any orange feathers, in case he would try to fly away. Several minutes passed, and then another few as she circled back. She made another round, beating her wings as quickly and steadily as she could.

But Asha couldn’t find him again. He had escaped.

Damned bastards wasted too much of my time and let that feather-brain get away, she griped. Usually they’re docile, unless they’ve been paid to do something other than just ‘keep the peace.’

Asha scoffed at that. Not once had she seen a guard do any good. They were all humans because they were the only species trusted to maintain order, when it was humans that put them there in the first place. It was just an easier way for humans to control everything.

And yet, unless they were dumber than they looked, they had purposely stopped her from pursuing the gryphon.

Nothing sat right in her stomach about that gryphon.

She paid the young dragon his reward and collected her things before carefully making her way back home. It was only a block away from Terrin’s house, and about two from hers, on the corner of two intersecting streets. It was small, and it only had two rooms inside, their living area and bedroom, but it was plenty for the two of them.

Inside, Terrin was lounging on spare furs, eating his meal. The ice-box that he bought was under a table, and on top of the table was their water-basin to drink from—they would have to fill that two or three times a day from a public well.

“You were gone longer than I thought you would be,” he commented and licked his chops. “Find everything you wanted?” He chuckled as he watched her take off all the items she found.

“I did, for the most part.” Asha still felt peeved about losing track of that gryphon.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” he said. “You look agitated.”

Asha took a deep breath and calmed down. She smiled at him. “Sorry, just a little stressed with all the work we’ve done,” she explained and nuzzled him.

“Why don’t you eat something?” he offered and slid his plate over to her. It had leftover hunks of fish and lizard meat. “It’ll help you feel better.”

Asha kissed his cheek in thanks. She lay couchant and eagerly picked at her food, using her claws to help slice pieces off of bones.

“I take it you found everything, then?” she asked.

He nodded and twined his tail with hers. “The ice-box is ready to go, too. I put the crystal in and added the gel to keep the stone from freezing and breaking. Our meals for the next few days are already in there.”

“Oh, good,” she said. “Maybe we can finally relax tomorrow.”

“Mhmm.” He eyed her and watched as she finished the rest of her food in a big gulp. “What were you upset about?”

She glanced at him and shrugged her wings dismissively. “I’ve just been stressed out, I guess.”

He shook his head. “You were irritated about something. Your feathers stand up when you’re angry.”

Asha petted down her crest of silver feathers. “Do not!”

Terrin chuckled. “They do too. Now tell me what’s bugging you.”

“Hrmph.” Asha turned her head away and pouted. “There was a gryphon that called me Blade today.”

His ears perked. “Your father’s name? Are you sure?”

She sighed and laid her head on top of her forepaws after pushing her plate away. “No, I can’t be one-hundred-percent sure, but he acted very suspicious and ran off. I tried to follow him, but I got caught up by some doofus guards.”

“Wow, such profanity,” he teased and scooted closer to her. He nuzzled into her neck and gave her cheek and snout a few affectionate licks. “Why do you let him get to you? He’s gone, Asha… He’s not going to come back.”

She pursed her lips and stared forward, biting her tongue.

“You probably misheard him and scared him off.” He nosed under her chin and tenderly licked the underside of it. A comforting paw curled around hers and squeezed.

Asha exhaled and released some of the tension in her body, nodding. “Maybe…”

“You’re too worried about your past. Why don’t you spend the present with me?” he said softly.

Asha purred and leaned into his licks as they started to trail lower to her neck. “I’d like to spend my future with you too.”

He rumbled in approval as he wrapped around her and tucked her soft body against him, his sinuous wings closing over her back while their limbs tangled together. Asha giggled and let him snuggle her. His pebbly-scaled snout rubbed into her fluffy chest and his paws sifted through her feathers. He placed her against him snugly and soon enveloped her entirely in a warm, comfortable embrace.

“Mmm, someone is a little more affectionate than normal,” she said, purring. She gently kneaded into his broad chest as his body pushed up against hers. His squishy nethers rubbed into her groin, and his sheath already felt thick. He was always so warm and more comfortable than he looked. A soft coo escaped her lips as Terrin kissed down her neck.

“Just happy that I can be alone with my mate,” he said, “In our own house, away from prying eyes.”

All of her worries from today started to wash away. The thoughts of pursuing the gryphon and finding her father were pushed to the back of her mind. Asha relaxed, enjoying the way her mate held her, touched her, and kissed her body. His soft lips didn’t stop at her neck; they trailed to her chest, to her belly, up her thighs, lower… and lower…

“Ooohhh, Terrin,” Asha moaned. Warm, lustful feelings made her feathers stand on end. Her hind legs were open to him as he buried his red muzzle between them, kissing and licking around her slit. A paw grabbed her taught haunches and squeezed them firmly as he nuzzled around between her soft, fluffy thighs, sometimes licking at the inner parts of her leg and sometimes teasing her wet vent.

“Just relax, my love,” he cooed.

Heat filled Asha’s cheeks as she watched him mouth over her slit. Pleasure bloomed inside her, tingling throughout her loins, his tongue making her toes curl. With a soft gasp, she squirmed and felt that warm, slippery tongue slide up her slit. It made the same motion again and again, pressing firmer into her folds each time. Sometimes it flicked across the very top of her slit, rubbing against the hood of her clitoris, which sent small jolts of pleasure trickling up her spine. The longer he continued, the more of her clitoris became exposed. Hot, tingling sensations warmed her body as she relaxed and let her mate pleasure her.

“Mmmmm… Ooh, your tongue…” Asha exhaled a hot, lusty breath as his tongue started to push inside her. A quiet groan escaped her lips when it slipped into her moist folds. It wriggled around and slid deeper and deeper until he would pull out and do it again.

“That f-feels really good… mmmmm…” Her walls clenched on his tongue and gave it gentle squeezes as it nestled inside her. When it flicked across tender, sensitive spots, Asha would inhale and give a soft moan as her toes flexed, and Terrin would purposefully tease those spots. And if he had trouble finding those spots again, he would give up and lick her clitoris with the flat of his tongue to make her squirm and groan.

Asha had to give up watching and instead laid her head back and sprawled out for him, relaxing. Her hind legs slightly pedaled, and she arched her back, unable to escape the almost ticklish sensations that wracked her body with bliss. Hot, pleasurable feelings bloomed inside her loins as she started to succumb to the pleasure. Her orgasm was building; she could feel it bubbling inside her each time he stimulated her clit.

Terrin kissed and made out with her sex, wetly slathering his tongue over her exposed flesh. She could hear all of the lewd noises he was making as he slurped and groaned along with her, and she could feel his heated breaths blowing across her wet crotch. Asha’s body moved on its own, her limbs trembling with delight and her hips rolling into his muzzle. His paws gripped her rump tightly, trying to hold her still while he ate her out.

And then his lips mouthed over her erect clitoris. She moaned loudly and felt heat rush to her face. Electrifying sensations coursed up her spine and a wave of ecstasy flooded her mind.

“Aaaahhh… I’m going to c-cum…” She was ready to let it all spill over, to let go and feel the rush of pleasure. She was so close to breaching that point of no return and feel release pour out of her loins.

But Terrin pulled his muzzle away and left Asha whining—begging—for more. When she opened her eyes, he was licking his lips hungrily with glazed, green eyes to match that lust. Her arousal was smeared and glistening on his pebbly nose. His body moved over hers as she laid exposed, legs spread and waiting. His flesh bobbed underneath him, hard and throbbing, pre drizzling from its tip.

“T-Terriiiin!” she complained. She panted and watched him lean forward to press their lips together.

A groan vibrated her throat as she kissed him and tasted herself mixed with his saliva. His paws kneaded into her body before they grabbed her and guided her to roll onto her belly. Asha followed his touch and broke the kiss once she turned around. Lost in a blissful fog, she let him move her into place and do with her body as he pleased.

Once she was situated exactly where he wanted her, Terrin pressed his belly to her back, his weight pushing her down. A paw grabbed the base of her tail with a firm squeeze and lifted it high to expose her bare haunches to him.

Asha gasped softly and elicited a coo to him as she felt his tip pushing into her folds, his hips moving under her tail.

“Rwrrrr, that’s a good girl,” he crooned next to her ear.

Asha had a retort to that, but then he suddenly thrust into her and made a cry spill from her lips instead. All at once his entirety filled her, and her muscles clenched down on him tightly, but he kept thrusting after that and eagerly rocked into her body. The initial discomfort was replaced by pure pleasure as Asha submitted to her mate.

“D-don’t think you’re—oooh—not going to… be in t-trouble for this,” she muttered between breaths as he humped her. “Mmmmm…”

“Grrrrrmmm… You’re going to take my seed like a good hen,” he groaned into her ear and gave a single hard thrust that made her crest flare and her feathers puff out.

“Oohhhrrr! You’re totally getting off to this…”

Normally, Asha liked to be in control. She usually decided when he could mount her and how, and most of the time she had seduced him first. But recently Terrin seemed to enjoy taking the dominant role, to be forward with his own decisions.

And Asha loved it.

It was a feeling she hadn’t felt before. It was similar to vulnerability as she was pinned beneath her mate, unable to resist even if she wanted to. The sensation drove her lusts wild and made her toes curl with pleasure while her hind legs stretched out behind her, legs spread open. Her tail bent over her rear end as he pressed into her.

“Aaaahhh, Terrin!” she moaned.

She grunted with every thrust and moaned with the swells of pleasure. Her walls stretched around him, his cock grinding against her soft, drenched folds, slipping in and out with wet slaps. Terrin was relentless as he pounded against her, his balls patting her groin. Their bodies grinded together and rocked back and forth with his thrusts.

“Mwrrrrrr, that’s it,” he moaned back.

Then, his forepaws rubbed her shoulder near her wings before clamping down near the base of her neck. He gripped her tightly as he pulled her into his hips. His cock pushed deep inside her and pushed at all of the right buttons, her muscles quivering around him. Deep, rumbling growls vibrated next to her ears as his head rubbed against the back of hers.

She neared her orgasm again. It came faster than before because of Terrin orally pleasuring her beforehand; it left her clitoris erect so his cock would sometimes rub against it, which would send electrifying pleasure up her spine. Pressure stirred in her loins, building with each of his thrusts. His chest pushed her torso down, his weight rolling into her and slightly lifting her rump when their hips met. When he started to gently bite her neck and nibble on it that was when she lost any control she had left and felt her senses become overwhelmed with hot, blissful lust.

With a cry of pleasure, Asha reached her climax. Muscles wrapped around his cock that continued to slide in and out of her at a sporadic pace, squeezing around it tightly. The undulations milked his flesh in an attempt to coax out his seed, but with the way he kept pounding away, she knew he wasn’t close yet. She panted, grunted, and groaned as he rocked into her through her orgasm, her sensitive walls being rubbed by his cock.

“Ooohhh, Asha, that’s it,” he groaned.

It was rare that she would be the first to cum; usually Terrin would spill his seed first and have to keep thrusting afterward to get her to reach her climax too. But this time, Asha had to endure taking his thrusts into her sensitive, trembling folds. Too enraptured in ecstasy, she laid her head down and nuzzled into the bedding while soft moans and grunts escaped her lips.

Terrin’s hips slapped against hers, finding a rhythm to roll into her. She listened to his grunts and growls and encouraged him with groans of her own. He was panting into the base of her neck, his hot breaths bathing her feathers while he leaned over her and rutted his mate.

“Oooh… Oooooh!” he moaned.

Without much warning, Terrin slammed into her one last time and grinded against her rump as his cock thickened and pulsed. She felt his warm seed spilling into her, gushing to fill her passage with the rapid throbs of his flesh. He moaned into her ear and went limp on top of her as he rode out his spurting orgasm.

Asha took a deep breath and shuddered, her muscles quivering around his hard length buried deep inside her. Every throb would send another strand of his seed trickling into her. His weight was almost too much as he squished her against the ground. He panted and caught his breath while they lay there together until he finally pulled away, finished, and flopped onto his back, tongue lolled out of his mouth.

Stretching, Asha hummed and fluffed up her feathers to enjoy the freedom. She glanced at him and saw his pink flesh jutting and twitching between his legs, glistening with a mixture of their fluids. Most of her senses had returned to her by now, so she was left with a full feeling of satisfaction while Terrin was embraced in the afterglow.

Admittedly, she felt a little sore from that, but it wasn’t a painful soreness; it felt like she had been stretched further than normal, so a dull ache squeezed her loins.

“Mmmm, someone was eager,” she cooed. “You haven’t gotten like that in a while.”

He chuckled and let out a big breath. “I couldn’t help it. I hope I didn’t hurt you at all.” He looked over at her with a soft expression and curled his tail around hers.

She shook her head. “No, but next time…” She sidled up next to him and lowered a paw between his legs, grabbing his orbs and squeezing them tightly. “I’m going to have my fun with you,” she finished with a smirk.

Terrin groaned and flinched as she grabbed him. “O-okay! Just—aaahhh—be careful with those.”

Asha giggled and firmly rolled his stones around in her paw. Next to his sheath, they were the softest part of his body, where his scales were so small that it felt like touching skin. They were squishy, too, which was why she enjoyed playing with them.

“I wouldn’t dare hurt my favorite part of you,” she teased and nuzzled his cheek.

He grinned and gave her a quick peck on the nose. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she purred.

The rest of the evening passed by quickly. After taking water from the public well, they retired for the night and thoroughly enjoyed each other as mates would. Now that they had privacy, there wasn’t anything to hold them back.

Thoughts of the gryphon and her father were pushed to the back of Asha’s mind as she spent her time with Terrin. He distracted her from herself, just like he always had. For once, she thought that she could simply relax and lay her mind to rest.

But of course, Asha’s determination proved otherwise. The next day, she scoured the city for that gryphon. Thinking his bright-orange feathers would be easy to spot from the sky, she sped from one district to the other but focused around the market and eastern housing districts. Just when she began to think about returning home, she spotted him.

He wandered down a lone street in the market district, away from the commotion. It appeared that he was carrying something at his flank as he roamed down another almost empty street. Ahead of him were tarps and canvases that would block Asha’s view, so she barreled downward and thudded somewhere close by to stalk him on foot.

For the next several streets, she followed him. Each time he turned, she would wait until he was nearly out of sight again before she would enter the street. If he turned around at any point, he would see her and most likely run again. She didn’t blame him though; she knew she was acting out of line—all because she had a gut instinct about him.

Soon, he turned to leave the market district, at the same gate again. Not wanting to risk the guards stopping her, Asha leapt up the wall, caught the top of it, and pulled herself over. She dashed to cover and found a tiny space to squeeze through toward the gryphon.

You won’t escape this time, bird.

His path continued down the main stretch until he turned off. She recognized this area as the slums of the two-leg territory. Dirty looks were cast her way as she quickly padded down the street and ducked behind cover. It made her feel nervous to be here, and she wondered what a feral gryphon would be doing in the two-leg district in the first place.

Then, to her surprise, he walked into a small, stone house and disappeared. She frowned. There were only a few windows, and each of them was covered so she couldn’t see in. So, she reached and carefully pulled the curtain away just enough so she could see in. But he wasn’t in this room, so she tried another one and another after that. The last one she peeked into was the right one.

She saw the gryphon in the middle of the room, lying on fur bedding. Inside the room were a lot of different shelves and books as well as a chair and a table. She remembered that in one of the other rooms was a bedframe and a nightstand next to it.

It’s a two-leg’s house, she realized. So why is there a gryphon here?

“What are you doing?” someone growled.

Asha grimaced and climbed down to all fours. She was caught. “I-I was just looking for someone…”

A two-legged dragon stood in front of her, scornfully ready to discipline her if he could. “Your kind isn’t welcome here. Leave.” Despite being dressed in rags, he still had an air of superiority over her.

“I just need to talk to the person inside,” she said and stepped up to the door. “I know them.”

He glared at her doubtfully. “No one lives there anymore. The owner died a couple of years ago, but the old hag passed it on to some dragon who refuses to sell it even though he doesn’t live here.

“Well, there’s someone in there right now that I want to talk to,” she stated firmly.

He sighed and continued walking away. “Whatever. Not my business,” he grumbled.

Asha exhaled with relief, but then she gulped before she knocked on the door. Seconds later, the door swung open, and she watched the excited look on his face disappear.

“O-oh, hello again. Can I help you?” He glanced around in the house and behind her.

“I want to know what you’re hiding,” she said, peering at him curiously. “Where is Slade?”

“Listen, I don’t know you! I shouldn’t be talking to a stranger, and especially to someone who was stalking me! It was nice knowing you, bye bye!” He chirped and tried to shut the door, but Asha stood in the way.

“Please,” she said urgently.

“I don’t know what you want from me!” he squawked. “I just mistook you for someone I know, and now you’re being all weird and stuff. Like, give me some space or something.”

“Where is Blade? Where is my father?” Asha felt her mind slipping, her heart taking over. She couldn’t control it, and she barely fought back her tears of desperation. She knew she was close to finding him; she knew that this gryphon had answers for her, but it was so frustrating that he wouldn’t give them to her.

“Okay, okay, okay, listen… You’re kind of scary, but in a not-so-frightening way and more like a if-I-don’t-watch-out-she’s-going-to-chew-my-head-off sort of way. Can you relax for a moment and take a step back? You know, so you’re not so close and I’m not in danger of losing my head?”

Asha gritted her teeth and reluctantly took a big step back. She knew she was brazen and abrupt, teetering on the edge of hostility. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

And then he promptly shut the door in her face that nearly hit her nose.

“HEY! YOU FEATHERED BASTARD!” she growled and started pounding on the door.

“Go away!” he shouted from inside. “You’re scary and mean!”

Asha hissed and slammed on the door one more time before snorting and stepping away. She already attracted enough attention. Eyes stared over in her direction. She muttered a few profanities and jumped into the sky. Before storming off toward home, she studied the area and which house the gryphon was in.

I’ll be back, whether you like it or not.

So, the next few days Asha spent her afternoons watching the gryphon’s house. When Terrin asked her what she was doing, she had given him a vague answer that didn’t raise any more questions. She wasn’t exactly proud of what she was doing, but she thought of it as a necessity in order to find more information about her father.

The gryphon didn’t have much of a routine, but he did leave the house quite often and fly to the marketplace for food. She would watch him from a distance, usually flying overhead while he was none the wiser.

But, she never saw any hint of a feathered dragon, and neither did she gather any more clues. So, she changed up the times that she would watch him the next couple of days and kept a close eye on his activities. And still, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Asha was beginning to lose hope.

Maybe if I approach him again and ask nicely, he will give me at least one answer.

It was all she could hope for as she tapped on the door with her claws. Moments later, it cracked open before she heard a squawk come from inside, and the door shut again. Asha sighed and took a deep breath. She knocked again and waited… and waited…

“Please,” she said, “I just want to talk. I won’t hurt you; it was never my intention.”

Silence.

Asha clenched her teeth and snorted a puff of air—it was nearly impossible to keep a level head. “I just want some answers, gryphon. Please?”

Just as she was about to turn away, the door opened ever so slightly, and a small voice piped up from the crack. “You promise not to be mean?”

She rolled her eyes. “I promise I won’t be mean.”

The door opened for her, so she stepped inside. The sunset-colored gryphon warbled and sat upright in front of her. Inside, it was dusty like no one had lived her for years, with cobwebs littering every nook and cranny she could see. Trails of paws were imprinted on the stone floors, where the dust and sand had been swept away. A scorpion skittered across the floor in the other room.

“Sorry about the mess,” he apologized. He must have seen the face she made. “I don’t actually live here, though. It’s just kind of where I’m staying for the moment… as you probably know already, since you’ve been stalking me!” He ruffled his feathers and clacked his beak.

Asha shut the door behind her before she sneezed and wiped her wrinkled nose. “I-I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to be so rude before…” Her thoughts trailed away from the house and pleasantries and returned to her objective. “I want to know about my father.”

“I don’t know your father!” he chirped. “I’ve never known you or your father! I made a mistake, okay? Can you pleeeeease leave me alone now?”

Asha frowned. She knew he wasn’t telling the truth before, and she knew he wasn’t now, but how would she get him to say otherwise?

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Renjee,” he answered, “with two ‘E’s’!”

“If you don’t live here, then why are you staying here, Renjee? Where do you live?”

He clacked his beak and shifted his wings. “I needed a place to stay while I was here… I-I don’t live in the city. I uhm… live across the… desert! In the forests with my family.” He nodded his head as if to assure himself it was true.

She scrutinized him, which seemed to make him queasier. “Then what are you doing here? Who else is with you?”

“N-no one! I came alone…”

“If you came alone, and you live all the way across the desert, then why would you have approached me like you knew me, even if you mistook me for someone else?”

He shifted back as Asha stepped closer. “B-b-because you look a lot like my friend… uhm… with the black feathers… and stuff…”

“Slade?” she pressed.

He can’t even keep up with his own fabricated story.

Renjee avoided making eye contact and shuffled on his paws. “Yes! Slade… my black-feathered friend. I thought he uuhh… followed me here.” He nodded again to himself.

“So you thought I was Slade… a gryphon?”

He eagerly nodded. “Yep, yep! You look a lot like him. He even has the silver markings like you do!” His feathers puffed out as he appeared to grow more confident.

More confident in his lies, she thought.

“I’ve been exploring the continent,” he continued. “So naturally I came here to look around! It’s a big city with a lot of people in it, so I thought I’d stay for a while and look around—meet new people and stuff.”

“And you came here because it was abandoned?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Mhm! That’s why, yep! There wasn’t anyone living here, so I moved in myself! But it could use some work… like dusting and getting rid of all the bugs—yuck.”

He lowered his guard as he looked around, the mental wall he had built up gone. Asha took the opportunity and asked him, “So how did you know my name, then?” It was a gamble, but she took the chance.

She could almost see his brain rattling as a glimpse of worry coursed through his feathers. Had he slipped up? When did he say her name? Was he caught? He better make up another lie to cover his tracks!

C’mon… lie to me again.

“I heard someone say it! The uhm… trader you were talking to that sold you those rugs! Asha, yep! He said it.”

“Aha!” she shouted triumphantly with a smirk stretching her lips. “No one ever said my name and there was no way you could have possibly known it unless you’ve been hiding something from me!”

Renjee squawked and pedaled backward as she got too close to him. “Nonononono, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

She had him now. She finally knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was connected to her father. Now, all she had to do was get him to tell her where he was or just any bit of information he could muster. Asha had won.

He looked for an escape, but Asha had him in a corner now. She wasn’t any bigger than him, but she knew she could at least subdue him if he tried to break through her.

“Please don’t bite my head off! Aahhhh!” he curled up into a fluffy ball and hid behind his wings.

“I won’t bite your head off if you tell me where my father is,” she stated.

“I can’t! I don’t know! Please go away!” he pleaded.

“You do know! Tell me n—”

Before Asha could get an answer, the door burst open behind her, and a black-scaled, feral dragon came rushing in. His crimson eyes examined her and then shifted to Renjee.

“You’re not who I’m looking for…” he muttered. “But…” His thoughts trailed off in his head.

“Hey!” Asha shouted. “What do you think you are doing?” She turned to face him, and as soon as she did, he pounced on her. She growled and tried to throw him off, but he quickly had her subdued and pinned down underneath him after he swept her legs out from underneath her. He was bigger and stronger than her, but his movements were entirely too fast for Asha to resist.

“GET OFF OF ME!” She snarled and tried to bite him while kicking with her hind legs, trying to sink her talons or teeth into something, but her claws glanced off his hard scales at the wrong angles. He was able to restrain her entirely. He pushed her legs down so she was on her side and then used his tail to coil tightly around them while he used his forepaws to hold down Asha’s front end.

“Settle down,” he said and pushed her into the dirty floor. Her feathers were getting soiled with the dust.

The gryphon was still curled up in the corner, feathers puffed out and his beak clacking nervously. “What do you want me to do!? Big, scary dragon!”

“You try anything and I will hurt her,” the black dragon stated and pressed a claw to Asha’s neck. She winced as his sharp talon stabbed into her hide. “Reach into my satchel and grab my rope, feather-brain.”

Renjee hesitantly did as he was told. “What’s this a-about?”

“Currently none of your business. Tie her up.”

“DO NOT!” Asha growled.

“Quiet, you.” She felt a paw grab her muzzle and squeeze it shut, making her growl and thrash around more. Then, the rope wound around her hind legs first, pulling them together so she could hardly move them. Next were her forelegs, tied in the same fashion. He let go of her muzzle and stepped away from her, and she turned her head and saw him tying Renjee up in the same manner.

“If you remain quiet, I won’t tie your mouths shut,” he said. “But say one thing I don’t like and I’ll tie them extra tight.”

Asha bit her tongue and snorted hot air. She stared at him with enough malice that he could feel it. She didn’t recognize him at all, and if she had seen him before, she thought she would remember a dragon as dark as an abyss. Except for his red eyes and white claws, he had no color to his scales. Strapped to his forearm were several knives, at his thigh was a crooked dagger, and at his side under his wing was a satchel. Based on the stories she heard as a whelp, he definitely looked like a villain.

“What do you want with us?” she asked as calmly as she could in this situation, as to not get her muzzle bound. Her heart was racing and the thought of what comes next nudged her mind uncomfortably.

“My client asked me to return to him a black and gold-feathered dragon. It seems there was either a mix up with physical description or I have the wrong dragon. Either way, we will find out soon enough.”

My father? she thought with a mixture of fear and anxiety. Why would someone else be searching for him? And how did I get caught up in this?

She hated that he was completely composed and almost bored. Whoever he was, he had been trained for this and had done this far too many times. It wouldn’t be easy to escape, but Asha tried to think of a way out.

Renjee was docile and obediently followed every command. Asha had to be forced to move to her paws, and she wanted to resist being tied to the gryphon too, but she quickly learned that it was best to be compliant for now.

Asha hissed as the black dragon shoved her forward out the door. She nearly tripped over herself. The gryphon followed in tow, a single rope tied between them as they both hobbled on bound paws. She imagined that she looked just as ridiculous as she felt.

Looking up into the sky, she thought that maybe if she was able to jump fast and high enough that she could escape, but the only issue with that was Renjee. He would have to jump and fly at the same time as her for them to even have a chance. But then the dragon wrapped a noose around her neck and tugged her forward.

“Try to escape or force me to drag you along, this rope will only get tighter,” he said. “It’s in your best interest to be a good prisoner, like your bird-friend.”

Asha growled. “Where are you taking us?”

“Somewhere safe. I have no interest in harming you, so you don’t have anything to fear if you obey me.”

He led them down the street. Curious eyes stared in their direction from the sides of the streets. Crowds of people opened up, a sea parting for them. Nasty glares, jeers, and other obscenities were tossed at Asha and Renjee as if they were the scum of the city. Asha hissed and snapped her teeth at them, and that only made things worse. It was humiliating.

Terrin…

Having given up on escaping herself, she hoped her mate would rescue her. She hoped that he would be somewhere in the crowd, ready to tear the black dragon apart and set her free.

But that dream soon came to an end.

Desperation clawed at her chest. What was going to happen to her? What if she never saw Terrin again? All of the hopes of finding her father, and she would never get to even come close to seeing him. It was her fault she was in this situation, and it seemed that she dragged Renjee into it too. If she didn’t escape soon, Terrin would be worried sick about her.

They walked into the palace district, a place Asha had never set a paw in because of the constant warnings of her mother. It wasn’t a good place for ferals; humans would openly persecute them. And here they were: eyes wide and staring directly at the two prisoners. It didn’t take long until rocks pelted her and Renjee. One caught her muzzle and rattled her head, causing tears to well in her eyes. All Asha could do was keep her head tucked down, her spirit broken and her body bruised.

She no longer had the same confidence as before. Now, there was nothing but fear and tension gripping her heart.

The black dragon led them into the palace itself, entering through a back door where there were four guards posted. They recognized him and allowed them to pass without hesitation.

Inside, marble floors stretched down two long hallways, one ahead of them and the other to the right. Giant pillars lined the pathway that appeared to surround a courtyard that she could see through the windows. Another building towered above them in the center of the yard. They passed by nobles and guards, all humans. Asha didn’t see a single two-leg and especially not a feral anywhere in the palace.

She had never seen so much wealth in one place before. The small fortune that her mother had shown her was nothing compared to the massive amounts of gold just decorating the hallways. Chandeliers of light-crystals and gold hung from the curved ceilings above. Paintings and expensive tapestries decorated the walls with an elegance she could hardly fathom. Silken curtains hung over the windows.

All of this money wasted while thousands still live in complete poverty.

To their right was a staircase that led into the darker confines of the palace. It grew colder and darker the further down they went until the stairs ended and a long, dank corridor opened in front of them. Asha had heard about the prison in the palace by word of mouth, but she never imagined that she would be seeing it herself. Compared to the prison in the slums, she much rather preferred this, if she had the choice.

But if she really had the choice to make, she would level this entire palace down to the sandstone and rip everyone and everything apart with her bare claws until justice was found.

Surprising enough, there weren’t any other prisoners here, and it was eerily silent. The black dragon shoved them into a cold cell carved out of the sandstone, with metal bars and a gate at the front of it. He untied the both of them, correctly assuming that neither would try to escape. At this point, the effort would have been wasted.

“Why are we here? Why are you doing this?” Asha asked.

He glanced at her as he shut the cell door but didn’t say a word. Rage welled inside her. Her claws dug into the hard, stone floor, and her jaw clenched tightly.

“I simply follow orders,” he finally stated. “I don’t know why you are here and nor do I care.” He locked the door with a clank and put the key in his satchel.

“Then why are you doing this?”

“For the money,” he answered as he started walking away, tail flicking casually behind him. “Nobles pay handsomely for someone else to do the dirty work, even if that someone else is a dragon. They hate me, and I hate them, but gold is what makes the world go ‘round.”

Asha frowned and watched the dragon leave, left with nothing but more questions and an empty pit in her stomach. Who was the noble paying him and why was he interested in her or her father? Would she ever see Terrin again? Would she die here?

And worst of all, there was nothing she could do. She was a prisoner.

What comes next?

Frustration made her want to cry. Anxiety made her want to hide herself in her wings. Gritting her teeth and resisting her fears, she turned her head to Renjee, who had frightened eyes and was curled up into a ball of quivering fluff. She stepped to him and hovered above him, glaring.

Guards are paid off, but information was leaked to a noble affected by Blade many years ago.

The musk of mating wafted in the air and tangled with the scents of flowers and incense. Warm, erotic feelings of arousal ebbed and flowed, uncontrollable and irresistible. Soft moans, coos, groans, and chirrs drifted from room to room as desires were fulfilled. Lust brimmed, peaking, with eyes glazed and half-closed, the need to feel release building with each and every second that passed.

Blade craved it all.

His golden eyes traced the form of a feral dragon dancer in front of him as he lay back on a bed, legs spread open shamelessly with a hard, pink member jutting between them. The male dancer wore a silken, lacey outfit that covered his scales in a way that left Blade wanting to pull all of his clothes off. It concealed just enough to leave his imagination swirling with possible ideas while he stared at the bulge between the dragon’s haunches that would sometimes come into view as his hips flaunted and swayed in his sexy dance around a metal pole. It was something he would often see the two-legs do when he visited brothels such as this, but never had he thought a feral like him could move in such a seductive dance.

His scales were a soft green color all around, and where they were bare Blade could see white colorations striping and speckling his hide. A black vest hugged his chest while a transparent cloth squeezed around his balls and sheath. Long, black socks stretched up his muscular legs and attached to his underwear. Gloves covered his forearms in the same fashion, latched on his vest in frilly laces. Wearing lingerie covered his nakedness from view, yet it had a better affect to arouse Blade than if the dragon didn’t wear anything at all.

Blade idly touched himself as he enjoyed watching the smooth, erotic dancing. He groped his own orbs and sometimes stroked his flesh, basking in the tingling sensations of arousal coursing through him. The dragon stretched up the pole and pressed his nethers against it, rolling his hips and grinding against the metal. That wonderful, plump bulge squished and rubbed against the pole, and Blade’s eyes could hardly break away from it as a lusty rumble filled his throat.

Then, the green dragon twirled around it so that his rump was facing Blade. His soft-blue eyes looked back at the feathered dragon as he took a step around the pole and pressed his hind end against it, his tail curling around the metal. It slid up the pole until his tail was lifted out of the way to expose that bulge again. The dragon rubbed against the pole and spread his legs apart for Blade, so his golden eyes could stare beneath that thick tail.

Seeing that made Blade want to mount him right then and there.

“Come here,” he cooed and shifted to sit upright against the back of the bed, his tail swishing excitedly while his cock was hard and twitching between his spread legs. He left his golden-feathered underbelly exposed that split his black-feathered hide down the middle.

It was just the two of them in a private room together inside a brothel. Blade paid for a deluxe package, and he expected to enjoy every bit of it with his lover for the night. He had enough of watching and desired to feel, touch, and explore his lover for the night.

The sea-green male smiled and sauntered over to the feathered dragon, his hips bouncing with each step. Climbing onto the bed with him, he straddled Blade’s lap as their warm bodies pressed together. Blade purred and grabbed his rump with both of his paws, pulling his hips closer and letting that bulge rub against his erect cock.

“Rwwrrrr, what’s your name, cutie?” he asked and nuzzled and kissed his neck. The cloth of the drake’s silk underwear slid against his sensitive flesh.

The dragon cooed and exposed his neck to him as he eagerly rolled his hips into Blade. “Simeon,” he answered. “But you can call me Simmy, handsome.”

“Mine’s Blade,” he said and huffed a warm breath against Simmy’s neck and groped his taught haunches with his paws, squeezing them and kneading them as they moved. He spread his thighs apart and rubbed a paw under the thick base of his tail, lifting it as he sensually touched him. He heard him gasp and groan next to Blade’s ear as his digits pushed against his pucker through his cloth.

“How long have you worked here?” Blade continued to dote Simmy’s neck with affectionate licks while suckling on his tender scales. His cock was growing and pushing against Blade’s as it stretched his underwear, their hips grinding together.

Simmy’s paws wrapped around Blade’s neck and sifted through his soft feathers. “A few years now.” His body was in constant motion, almost dancing in Blade’s lap as his hips rolled, twisted, gyrated, and pressed into him. Blade’s hard length throbbed and pushed against that growing bulge, his breaths short.

I wonder if I could ever get Renjee to learn this, he fantasized. That bird does have a sexy body too…

“Gwwrrllll… Have you always preferred males?” Blade asked with a trill. As he grabbed Simmy’s rump, he pulled the drake against his body to fit him like a puzzle piece and let their nethers grind firmly together.

“Mmmnnngh, yes,” he replied, groaning. “What about you?”

Blade’s soft paws rubbed down Simmy’s thighs and felt the chord connecting his clothes. “Always,” he purred and unhooked each lace before his paws returned to Simmy’s backside. He slipped a paw under his cloth and groped beneath his tail, teasing a digit around the dragon’s bare tailhole.

“Ooohh! And I—mmm—take it that you’re a top?”

Blade grinned toothily and nodded as he pulled his muzzle away from Simmy’s neck. He nuzzled his snout and looked down between his legs to see his cock’s form molded against his lingerie, its fleshy color almost visible through the transparent, black silk.

Simmy sucked in a deep breath as Blade’s paw squeezed it. He kneaded into his flesh, enjoying his reactions. A wet spot darkened the cloth where his tip was, and Blade could smell Simmy’s musky scent filling his nostrils. He rumbled and slipped a claw beneath the underwear and tugged it over his cock so Blade could see his exposed flesh. He was just as large as Blade was, but it was smooth without any ridges past his tapering head.

“You like what you see?” Simmy cooed. His gentle touched caressed Blade’s head as he stared at his naked spire.

Blade didn’t answer him and instead lowered his muzzle until he could lick the green’s cock, slathering his wet tongue over his tip to taste his pre. It had a delicate and mild flavor, and it clung to his tongue. Simmy moaned and grabbed some of his feathers.

“Aaahh, Blade!”

Simmy’s flesh slipped into Blade’s inviting maw, pushing past his lips and sliding into a hot, blissful orifice. Blade swirled his tongue around his tip and tenderly suckled on his rod as half of it rested in his maw. Simmy’s paws stroked through Blade’s golden mane of feathers as his pleasure spilled from his lips in soft moans.

Blade loved to give pleasure almost as much as receive it, and he was hardly a stranger to giving blowjobs. As he sucked on Simmy’s cock, his paws rubbed around his rump, squeezing and kneading into his scaly muscles. He was used to feeling feathers as soft as his own, but the hard, smooth feeling of scales was something he greatly enjoyed.

One paw would rub down Simmy’s thigh and the other would snake under his tail. Then, he finally slipped his paw under his lingerie and pressed firmly against his tailhole, and he would feel Simmy’s cock throb and twitch with delight in his suckling maw. He rubbed circles around it and sometimes threatened to push a digit inside.

“Ooohhh, that feels amazing,” Simmy moaned.

Gently bobbing his head, Blade let Simmy’s flesh slide in and out of his mouth. He licked up the dragon’s pre with his tongue and sucked on his tapered tip to coax more out, enjoying the mild, slimy flavor. The paw that was groping Simmy’s tailhole pulled around front before dipping beneath his underwear and taking his stones in his soft paw and rolling them around.

“Mmmmm,” he rumbled. “You’re really good at that…” Simeon petted Blade between his horns and gently rolled his hips to help slide his length in and out.

Blade groaned and flexed his toes. Arousal thrummed in the back of his skull, Simmy’s scent and flavor rousing lustful desires inside him. He thought about letting Simmy finish in his maw, but he had better things planned. Slowly, Blade pulled his muzzle away from his twitching cock and licked his lips as he raised his head up.

“Bend over the bed, cutie,” he instructed while squeezing Simmy’s orbs. “Let me get under that tail.”

A grin curled Simmy’s lips as he nodded and climbed out of Blade’s lap. “Rwwrr, you know just the right words to get a drake going.”

He hopped off the bed with Blade following in tow and laid his front end against it. Chirring, Blade stepped up behind him as he spread his haunches apart and lifted his tail high, an eager invitation to be mounted. The black stockings squeezed around his muscular legs and covered all the way down to his hind paws. Grabbing the drake’s underwear, Blade tugged it down his thick hind legs and exposed his eager rump, orbs drooping beneath a tight pucker.

Then, he pushed right up against his naked rump and slid his cock around his haunches as his weight shifted over Simmy to mount him. Blade’s chest fit perfectly between his wings. He hooked a forepaw around the base of Simmy’s neck and grabbed the bed sheets with the other as he pushed under that thick tail and prodded for his soft tailhole.

When he found purchase, Blade gently pushed inside, feeling that tight pucker stretch around his tapered tip before his flesh slid into a warm, soft passage. A lewd groan escaped Simmy’s lips as his muscles clenched around Blade’s penetrating cock. It nestled in deeper and deeper until he bottomed out and grinded against him.

“Mmmmmm, you’re tighter than I thought you’d be,” Blade cooed as he enjoyed having Simmy around his cock. He was soft and warm on the inside, just like Renjee.

“I don’t get many big, feral studs like you… Rwwwrrrrrllll, but you can be as rough as you want to be, handsome. I can take it.”

“I’ll have to take you up on that offer, sweetie,” he whispered and licked behind Simmy’s ear.

Blade moaned softly into Simmy’s ear and rolled his hips into him. His flesh rubbed against Simmy’s smooth, enveloping walls without sliding very far in or out until Blade worked himself into humping him. He pulled almost all the way out until he thrust hard back inside, and Simmy clenched tighter than before.

“Ooh, Blade! That’s it…” Simmy moaned encouragingly.

With a lusty huff, Blade kept thrusting forcefully back into Simmy’s tight passage. His cock slipped inside each time and spread his soft walls apart that squeezed around him. When he pulled out, his ridges tugged on Simmy’s muscles and rubbed against his pucker.

“Aaahh, you like that?”

Blade imagined that he was grinding against Simmy’s prostate each time he thrust in. He could almost feel the trembling pleasure that would course through his loins when that swollen nub was rubbed by a hard cock. It had been so long since Blade felt something like that, but he couldn’t deny that he loved the sensations stimulating his flesh just as much.

The clenches of Simmy’s muscles were in time with the throbs of his flesh bobbing beneath him. Blade wished he could play with it more and feel it in his paw, but instead he wrapped his arms around Simmy’s torso and pulled himself forward into the green dragon to secure his mount.

“Y-yessss… faster! Ooohh!” Simmy moaned. He rocked with Blade’s hard thrusts that gained speed. Their hips slapped together as their grunts, growls, and groans harmonized.

Please welled inside Blade’s loins. Pre oozed from his cock and made his penetration slicker so he could take Simmy easier. He was glad to hear Simmy’s pleasured moans, letting him know that he was enjoying it as much as Blade was. His balls patted against Simmy’s rump as he humped hard and fast. He shoved the green’s body into the creaking bed and slammed into him repeatedly.

The walls in the brothel looked thin, so Blade imagined that whoever was next to them could hear their rough, feral mating, and he liked the idea of that. He voiced his pleasure next to Simmy’s ears as he rutted him. With each thrust his pleasure grew, and so did Simmy’s. He could hear it in his pleasured grunts and moans that became louder and more frequent.

Blade loved having such a warm, soft, eager body to thrust into. It reminded him of the many times he had mated his gryphon friend, Renjee, and how he always loved to be on bottom and take Blade’s cock inside him. It wasn’t very often that Blade got to experience the pleasures of being the submissive one anymore, but he had quite grown to enjoy dominating his partners.

“A-aaahhwrrrrr! I’m… I-I’m about to cum!” Simmy cried out in the throes of his ecstasy. His body was nearly limp beneath Blade as he pounded against it. He was lucky to have a bed to lie on or he might have fallen over.

“Ooohh, sensitive, huh?” Blade moaned along with him and kept steadily rocking against him. His hind legs were trembling from the pleasure and exertion, but he was close too. There was hardly any resistance as his length slipped in and out of Simmy’s tailhole.

Then, Simmy moaned out to Blade as he came, his muscles rapidly clenching and pulsating around his cock as he spilled his seed into the bed. Blade groaned and enjoyed the tight squeezes as he humped Simmy through the peak of bliss.

“Mmmm, that’s it, cutie,” Blade cooed. “Almost there…”

Warmth flushed Blade’s face as he heard and felt Simmy cumming. He was happy that he enjoyed their mating and that he could experience the pinnacle of pleasure with him. Now, all he had to do was focus on finishing himself. So, he slowed down and rolled his hips into Simmy, letting his cock grind against the green’s hot passage. His hard thrusts were replaced by a tender grinding and humping that made Blade’s toes curl.

Simmy panted and groaned as his sensitive flesh was rubbed and stretched by Blade’s slick cock. Being an experienced worker, he knew it was his job to get Blade to cum, so he pushed back into his soft lap and swiveled his hips, and Blade’s orbs squished against him.

“C’mon, handsome,” Simmy cooed. “Cum inside me…”

Blade huffed and reached a forepaw back to grab Simmy’s rump and pull into it, humping faster. The other paw pushed Simmy into the bed and made him submit to Blade as he made thrust after thrust while his arousal grew and balled up inside his loins, threatening to spill over at any moment. He moaned loudly and eagerly slapped against Simmy for another few seconds until he doubled over and wrapped his arms around the green’s torso to pull himself snugly against his rump to bury his cock in the tight, soft tailhole. His crest of feathers flared open once he breached that final wave of bliss.

Blade winced and bucked as he growled with pleasure and reached his orgasm. He stopped thrusting and pushed his cock as deep as it would go while it throbbed and spewed thick strands of his gooey seed inside Simmy. His flesh thickened, pulsing against Simmy’s tight, drenched walls that squeezed his flesh.

“Oooohhh, yes, Blade… Mmmmm…”

Pleasure flowed through Blade like a river; his feathers stood on end and his body shuddered with pure ecstasy. He rode out his orgasm with heavy breaths bathing the back of Simmy’s neck. After Blade had emptied his orbs inside Simmy and filled him with his seed, he let the warm, relaxing afterglow wash over him.

Pulling out with a wet squelch, Blade rumbled deep in his throat. “How did you like that, cutie? Ever felt a cock like that before?”

Simmy bared a coy smile back at him and shook his head. “Those ridges of yours felt amazing,” he answered. “Could hardly think straight when you started humping me.”

They crawled back onto the bed together, with Blade lying on his back and wrapping the green dragon in a soft embrace.

“You’re irresistible,” Blade cooed and licked along Simmy’s cheek. The green dragon fit perfectly against his soft body, and Blade closed his hind legs over his rump as he pulled him into a closer embrace. Their half-aroused members rubbed together between their legs.

“I can say the same about you, handsome,” Simmy cooed back. “Haven’t had such a pleasurable experience like that in a long time.”

“I’m glad to be of service!” Blade chuckled and curled his tail around Simmy’s. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Mmmmm…” Simmy smiled widely before planting a kiss on Blade’s lips. It was a quick, affectionate kiss that made Blade’s heart leap in his chest. He thought about Renjee and his gut knotted. Blade hadn’t been separated from the gryphon for longer than a whole day in a long time, and he worried about him. He was most likely alone, in an enormous city some leagues away from here.

But he let those worries fall from him and held the back of Simmy’s head and pulled his muzzle closer. Warm emotions flowed through him as he kissed Simmy back and mouthed over his lips. A soft groan escaped the green’s maw before he delved into a passionate kiss with Blade, tongues twining and curling with mouths locking.

Blade had only ever kissed Renjee once like this, and before that it was his mate, Akir, whom he loved more than anyone else in the world. What made him share this moment with a dragon he had just met? Why was he kissing Simmy like he would kiss Akir? No one could ever replace Akir. He didn’t love Simmy…

Yet, in spite of his mixed emotions, Blade continued to lock maws with Simmy, and their kiss took a lustful turn. Hips rolled together and hard cocks rubbed together. Their bodies were in constant motion of paws caressing, bodies grinding, and twined tails swaying together. Soft pants escaped their kiss after moans vibrated their throats.

Blade rolled Simmy onto his back and let his lust drive him. He pressed between the green’s legs and had warmth envelop him again as he slipped inside. He pushed and pulled, ebbing and flowing, rocking their bodies together against the bed. Their muzzles brushed together as they shared breaths. It was so smooth and relaxing, both dragons embraced by warm emotions.

For a second time, Blade took Simmy and shared his pleasure. Ecstasy brimmed in the back of his skull. Bliss showered him with wonderful, tingling feelings. He made thrust after thrust until it all overflowed and they reached the pinnacle of pure pleasure together.

Afterward, they resumed their intimate cuddling and eventually fell asleep in each other’s embrace.

Only a few hours later, Blade stirred awake and realized that he needed to leave before the sunrise.

“Will you… come back?” Simmy asked. He looked hopeful, and it made Blade’s chest ache to realize he may never see Simmy again.

“I don’t think I can promise that… but I will try.” He gave the green dragon a soft smile and a lick on the nose before uncurling from around him. If he could take Simmy with him… No, he didn’t want anyone else getting caught up in his mess of a life.

It was a hard goodbye, and Blade was reluctant to leave, but he told Simmy that he hoped to visit him again before he returned to the West.

With that, Blade took off toward the north under a blanket of fading stars, leaving the river town behind to fly toward his old city just before the break of dawn.

The bright orange sun touched the darkened world again and brought it back to life with its warmth. It peeked over the sea and cast long shadows behind the city that Blade had once called home. Dreadful memories crawled under his feathers like festering bugs, and each and every single one of them he carried as a burden. It made it difficult for him to continue flying in that direction, and for a moment he thought he’d turn back.

Will I ever forget this pain?

His heart ached like an open wound, a relentless, stinging pain that seized his throat and made it hard to swallow. The city was all too familiar; it seemed as if nothing had changed, and yet it felt like a century had passed since he last set foot here. In his memories, he could still see his mate flying above the rooftops or standing in the sandy streets. Some of them felt so real that he would have tumbled out of the sky after him.

Gods, why must I suffer like this…

Blade hurried to Renjee, the only soul in this god-forsaken city that could save him from himself. He flew over buildings he recognized, where he could recall the inside and outside from memory. But there was a foggy haze over some of the details: fragments missing from the decade he spent away. And in some areas, his memory was black, lacking.

He touched down outside Talia’s house, his old friend that had passed before he could return. The news had been heartbreaking, despite having prepared himself for it. She would have been the only thing in this city that he still cared about… beside his daughter.

Blade grimaced and pushed the door open. Everything and everyone in this city was just a reminder of the mistakes he had made.

“Renjee?” he called out. He turned the corner and peeked into the room he and Renjee had been sleeping in before, but the gryphon wasn’t there curled up in the bedding. “What could you possibly be doing this early in the morning?” Blade wondered aloud as he finished searching the rest of the small house to find nothing.

It wasn’t like Renjee to be awake at this time. None of the shops would be open in the market yet, so Blade wondered what he would be up to.

He lay on their bedding and rested his head on his paws, waiting for the gryphon to return. The gryphon’s scent clung to the furs and pillows, settling Blade’s nerves so he could relax. Drowsiness settled in, so he decided to nap while he waited.

But when he woke up several hours later, Renjee was still missing. A tight knot formed in his gut; it wasn’t like Renjee to disappear like that. He didn’t know the city very well either, so Blade started to worry. Pacing through the house, his mind teemed with horrific possibilities.

Maybe Renjee was dead, his corpse in some alleyway Blade would never find. Maybe someone had kidnapped him and tortured him. Maybe he stuck his beak too close to the palace and the guards beat him into a bloody mess or took him away. Maybe Blade would never ever see him again.

And it would all be my fault for bringing him here…

Blade pinched his eyes shut and let out a long sigh. After a few steady breaths, he tried to relax, but that gnawing, troublesome sensation prickled beneath his feathers. He wanted to believe Renjee was perfectly okay—safe—but he knew by gut instinct that something was amiss.

Next to the door dust had been kicked up and swept away. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a short scuffle had taken place. A few scrapes from claws marred the stone. It was obvious that something had transpired here, and now he was left wondering who, what, when, and why?

Then, Blade caught a single silver feather next to a cabinet. It didn’t look like a normal feather: it was larger than that, like it belonged to a feathered crest. Had it not been silver, he would have assumed it was his missing from the back of his neck… but it was silver and didn’t belong to either him or Renjee.

Whoever it belonged to must have been the culprit. And if they laid a single paw on Renjee, I will rip them apart.

Blade slammed the door shut on his way out and thrust himself into the midday sky, with heat beating down on him. Normally, he avoided going out in public in case the wrong people would recognize him, but now there were worrisome matters gripping his chest like a vise.

He searched everywhere he could, flying over every district but the palace district. After that had been unsuccessful, he took to the streets and swiftly padded around the districts. The city was so large that he felt like he didn’t make a dent before the sun set again. Determined, he continued to search through the night, his heart racing and hurting as vivid pictures of Renjee beaten and bloodied crawled into his mind. And sometimes, memories of Akir’s corpse flooded him. He blinked away tears and hurried to his next destination.

The moon reached its peak in the sky before Blade finally returned to Talia’s home. Cold air nipped him under his feathers and set a haunting chill in his bones. He had hoped that Renjee would be home when he returned, and then he almost expected to find his dead body at the doorway…

Blade growled and shook his head clear. Renjee is fine. He is perfectly fine. He is just lost and needs to find his way home. He did want to explore a little, and maybe he flew out of the city. I’ll look there tomorrow.

He closed the door behind him and nearly stepped on a piece of paper at his feet. He gulped and quickly picked it up, staring at the runes inked into the paper. Frustration held him. In spite of trying to teach himself to read, he still couldn’t make out what this note said. He only understood a few words, and it wasn’t nearly enough to give him the slightest understanding of the message.

That same troubling feeling slithered under his feathers. Renjee didn’t know how to read or write either, so this couldn’t have been a note from him. Had he been kidnapped after all? Is this a ransom letter? Or perhaps it was a letter from the palace stating that he had been imprisoned or injured or worse…

Please, no more… please…

Blade sealed his eyes tightly shut so he wouldn’t cry. I should have never come back. We should have found our money through other means.

But he knew it wasn’t entirely about resupplying their money; he wanted to secretly check on his daughter—and also supply her and Vespera with another gift of gold and jewels. It was something he wanted to do every decade, and already he was four years late.

Asha is about fourteen years old now… Last I saw her, she was just a little hatchling. Our little hatchling…

Glancing into the other room, he saw that the two satchels were still there, full of treasure. Then, he stared at the letter again and clenched his teeth.

I won’t continue sniveling like a whelp… Tomorrow, I act. I’ll find someone to read this, who sent this letter, and I’ll find Renjee.

Faint memories of blood and gore ached in the back of his mind. It was the first and last time he had ever killed—he never wanted to do it again. But if someone harmed Renjee, he wasn’t sure if he could control himself. Back then he was an unleashed monster; there was nothing anyone could have said or done to have stopped him unless they killed him. If Renjee was in trouble, he would do anything to save him… And Blade knew without a shadow of doubt that he would kill again—for Renjee’s sake.

Sleep was hard to find that night, and he woke up only several hours later at the crack of dawn. He tried to think of somewhere to go with someone that could read this note to him, and he decided to simply prowl the streets of the two-leg district in search of someone that could read. To the first person he found willing to even talk to Blade, he gave them a gold coin and heard the message:

We have your daughter and your friend. If you ever want to see them again, you will meet me three days from now in the center of the palace district when the sun is at its highest. Come join the festivities. Cordially, High Bishop Alexander.

Anger, rage, panic, and desperation grasped Blade by the heart and clenched it between icy claws. All the blood drained from his face as he stared blankly ahead. The two-leg that read the letter gave him a look of sympathy but left in a hurry. He didn’t start moving until he caught his breath and felt his heart pounding like a hammer to an anvil.

They have my daughter… That silver feather… Asha…

All those many years ago, the reason he had left the city and his daughter behind was so that she wouldn’t get caught up in his mistakes, so that she would live a happy life without any consequence. The moment he returned was the moment he threw away and wasted the last fourteen years of his life.

He knew nothing of the humans and their political system, but whoever this Alexander was sounded like a very important person. And an important person in the human society meant terrible news for any feral; they wouldn’t associate themselves with beasts unless it was to mock, humiliate, punish, or kill them. From the sounds of it, it looked like Alexander would be doing all four of them at once.

Whoever he was, it was someone that remembered Blade after all of these years… Someone Blade had affected during his rage-induced massacre, most likely. Word must have spread to him somehow that Blade had been sighted. After Blade paid off most of the guards, someone must have squealed.

Three days from now would be the start of the Sun Festival. That day and the following few days, the sun would rise the earliest in the morning and set the latest in the evening. At the center of the palace district was where they handed out punishments in public. Hangings, lashings, and fights to the death happened there: the worst, most brutal sentences.

And his lover and daughter would both be there.

The fact that tears weren’t spilling from Blade’s eyes either meant that he had already cried his heart out or that the rage building inside him was so intense that he was losing sense of himself. He took a deep breath, unclenched his teeth and claws, and let it out. He closed his eyes and tried to stay standing on his trembling legs, but there was no way he could sit still for any longer.

I have to save them. I have to save Renjee and Asha.

But this time, he would think carefully about his actions. He would assess the situation and every possibility, and he would seek help. Turning to the feral district, he flew to Vespera.

He landed at the second story platform and gulped before hastily knocking on the door. He wondered if she had changed at all since he last saw her, and the last time he saw her was before Akir had died…

The door creaked open, and out came a red muzzle and soon two deep-blue eyes that stared at Blade questioningly.

“Hello?”

Then it occurred to Blade that Vespera could have moved homes after all these years. “I’m looking for a dragoness named Vespera?” he asked hopefully. Maybe this dragon would know where she was?

The door opened wider, and an old dragon glanced around. “I don’t know who yer talkin’ about.”

Blade frowned and gave a short sigh. He asked a few more questions in hopes of getting an answer to help him, but the old dragon was of no use to him. Flying away from that stretch of housing, Blade searched for any sign of jet-black scales with silvery markings. At this point, his only hope of finding her was by searching around the district. There wasn’t anyone he could talk to or ask.

The more exposed he was during the day, the more likely it was that he would be found by Alexander and his men. He felt safe flying around in the feral district, but his appearance was far too unique to go unnoticed. Still, he remained vigilant. Time was his enemy, and he needed an ally fast.

Resting for a moment, Blade landed in the heart of the feral district and lay next to a fountain. He remembered the days when he and Akir would stop here for a while and relax together, and as he looked around, he saw that very little had changed. It made him wish Akir was there beside him. Casting a hopeful glance to his side, he was quickly disappointed and left with a cold, lonely feeling.

He sighed and nestled his head between his paws. He pinched his eyes shut and clenched his paws. Renjee… if anything happens to you…

After a while, Blade was ready to continue searching for Vespera again. He had hoped she would show up here by chance, but he couldn’t be wasting any more precious time.

As he stood up, he noticed a young, red dragon glaring at him from across the street with an intensity that startled him. He took a step back and pinned his ears. Was he was working for Alexander?

And then the red dragon bared his fangs and charged Blade. “YOU!”

Blade didn’t want to fight his own kind… He couldn’t bring himself to strike the charging dragon, so he tried to jump away, but he caught him, and they both went tumbling to the ground. Blade yelped and rolled before kicking the dragon away and clambering back to his paws.

The dragon growled vehemently and tried to tackle him again with claws outstretched. Blade dodged the next few swipes and then rammed into him with a shoulder to knock him back. He could have pounced afterward as the dragon staggered, but he instead looked for a way out of this fight. Too many people were watching—too many eyes. He glanced around and leapt backward to avoid more attacks, and he tried to call out to the dragon to stop, but he was leaving Blade with no choice.

At the next opportunity, Blade roared and sprang upon the red dragon. He was a little bigger and much stronger, so he soon pinned him down. But a paw caught the side of his muzzle and claws sliced him; warm blood came trickling out of his fresh wound. Blade winced and hissed as he struck back, but he was blocked and attacked again. The dragon scrambled on his back and kicked Blade in the stomach, where his claws dug in and cut him open. Blade landed a blow on the red’s snout and left him with three separate gouges.

It was a flurry of attacks; some landed, others were blocked, and most missed just barely. The dragon was constantly trying to slip free from Blade while he persistently shut down every opportunity he had.

The longer their fight continued, the more Blade pressed his advantage of being on top. He pinned the dragon down beneath him and went for his throat, catching it between his teeth. He didn’t bite as hard as he could, but his sharp fangs sank into his neck. The warm, metallic taste of blood filled his maw and leaked around his lips as the dragon cried out and kicked harder.

He managed to get both of his hinds under Blade and throw him off, sending Blade rolling through the dust and sand away before he moved to his feet and stood his ground again.

Both of them were panting and bleeding, and splatters of their blood marked the ground around them.

“Where is she!?” the dragon growled and stepped closer. In spite of his youth, the way he stared down Blade was admittedly intimidating.

But Blade had been in far too many fights to let an ego scare him. He circled to the side, ready to make a move at any moment. “I don’t know who you are or what you want!”

Whatever the red dragon was after, he was desperate; Blade saw that. He felt that once before too. For a moment, he saw himself in the dragon as he was that night fourteen years ago… It was haunting, like a ghost come to repay him for his sins.

“I know you have her!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. Fierce rage lit his eyes that stared daggers into Blade’s soul. He recognized all too well what the red dragon was feeling: the sheer anger and determination.

“I will rip you apart and send you through the Seven Hells if you do not tell me right now what you did with Asha!” he roared.

Blade froze. His face softened and he took a step back out of his crouched position. He scrutinized the red dragon before him and wondered who he was and how he knew his daughter.

“I-I don’t have her…”

“LIAR!” he roared and attacked Blade again. Blade didn’t have any time to react as sharp teeth and claws aimed for him, and he caught the brunt of the attack and fell onto his side as the red pinned him down. He yelped and hissed with pain before backhanding the dragon sharply across the muzzle. It was hard enough to daze him and give Blade the chance to kick him off and throw him to the ground.

“Stop!” he demanded and held a paw to his bleeding muzzle. “Stop this and I will tell you.”

The dragon shook his head and regained his composure. As they both climbed back up, Blade wasn’t sure if he would be attacked again or not. The dragon hadn’t softened in the slightest and looked intent on harming Blade in any way he could.

“Tell me now.”

Blade shook his head and glanced at the crowd around them. It wasn’t rare that ferals would fight each other, and Blade remembered always being eager to watch a fight when he was younger. A few times, he had watched Akir fight, and he would always win.

“Do you have a place where we can talk and bandage ourselves?”

He glared at Blade and gave one firm nod. Without another word, he turned tail and hobbled away, expecting Blade to follow. Blade clutched a wound and followed him, his cuts aching and burning.

Blood soaked Blade’s feathers where he was sliced. It was more evident where crimson stained his golden feathers, and he soon realized that some of it wasn’t his own. The dragon in front of him was dripping a trail of blood; splatters would fall into the dirt every so often, and when Blade looked behind them, he could distinctly see a trail. Hoping to help disguise it, he dragged his tail along in the dirt and tried to cover it. It didn’t look like anyone was following them, and before long the wind would blow the sand around and cover their tracks.

The red dragon led Blade to a house about the same size as what his old home used to be, but in a much nicer area. They stepped inside and closed the door. As the dragon searched the house for something to use as bandages, Blade stood and looked around.

“What’s your name?” he asked. He wondered who he was to Asha. With the amount of emotion he showed, she was obviously very important to him.

The dragon ignored him and pulled out a sheet of linen from a storage box. He sliced pieces of it and made makeshift bandages for the both of them. Blade grabbed a few and dabbed the blood away from his snout and his other cuts, quickly dirtying the first few pieces of cloth before he wetted another two with their water supply and scrubbed his wounds clean. He wrapped one around his forearm where he caught a couple blows, and then one around his neck. Otherwise, he couldn’t do much for his snout or stomach with the cloth that was left. Everything hurt, but he knew he would be fine.

“Where is Asha?” the red hissed as he wrapped a bandage around his neck.

Blade pinned his ears and sat down on his hind end. “She’s… I’m not sure. She’s been taken as a prisoner.”

He studied the dragon closely and looked him up and down. He looked half the age Blade was, so he would have been about his daughter’s age. Was he a friend to her or more than that? A brother?

He hissed and slashed the air in front of Blade. “This is YOUR fault,” he accused with the jab of his claw. “YOU got her into trouble and YOU are the only reason that she is in this situation. I should kill you now and take them your head so she’ll be freed!”

Blade winced. “I know… I can’t feel any worse about it. I would give myself to them, but I know they would do horrible things to her before they killed me…” Blade’s stomach turned and felt like someone was squeezing it with needles. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the dragon anymore, let alone see the unbridled rage in his eyes. “I’ll never be able to make things right, but I have to save her before it’s too late.”

“You aren’t going to do anything!” he growled. “You are going to leave this place and stay where you belong: nowhere near her. She doesn’t want you in her life. I will save her myself.” He was pacing circles around Blade now; it seemed like he would attack him again at any moment.

Blade contemplated that. She would be better off without me… I would probably make things worse if I tried to rescue her, but I can’t abandon her again. I can’t let her go. As long as I draw breath, I will fight for her.

“You need my help,” Blade stated. “And I need yours. She is in serious danger. I believe they plan on executing her at the height of the festival: three days from now. They want to draw me out… It could be worse than just an execution.”

For a moment, Blade saw fear replace the anger in his eyes, but his rage would not be quelled.

“This is your fault. This is absolutely your fault. You abandon her and suddenly decide you want to come back, and then you get her caught up in your problems.”

“I KNOW IT’S MY FAULT!” Blade roared and quickly stood up in a flurry of feathers. He wanted to break everything in sight and smash anything smash-able, and right now the red dragon was looking like his first victim. “I don’t need YOU to tell me that!”

But Blade clutched his chest and calmed himself down. His heart was racing and his adrenaline was pumping. The dragon was frozen in front of him.

“I know it’s my fault,” he repeated, softer. He took a heavy breath and closed his eyes. “I only want what’s best for her. I never wanted to leave her. I wanted to watch my daughter grow up.” Blade clenched his teeth and held back tears. “I wanted to be her father.”

The red dragon looked at him with contempt, but his anger abated as he relaxed. “If you promise to leave as soon as she is back in my arms, then we can help each other.”

Blade nodded. “I’m sorry.”

He frowned at Blade. He had stopped pacing and calmed down considerably, but Blade saw the hatred pouring out of him. “Apology not accepted.”

Blade sighed and looked away. “You are her mate?”

He nodded once.

A small smile curled Blade’s lips. He was happy his daughter had found someone, even if he was a complete ass.

“I could tell. I once felt the same as you do. I loved my mate dearly; I cherished every moment I spent with him. And when I lost him, when I could no longer tell him how much I loved him, that was when I lost myself… when I made terrible mistakes that I deeply regret.”

Blade dug his claws into the floor in a futile attempt to hold his tears back, but they were soon streaming down his cheeks. The dragon sat down, staring at Blade, listening.

“Don’t make the same mistakes I did. You at least have a chance to save her… And I do too. I’m hopeful for you two. If you have the same passion I did, then I’m confident that you love her like I loved my mate, and that is enough for me to rest easy about letting my daughter go.”

“I don’t need your blessing,” he stated.

“No, and I have no right to give it… But I’m glad you’re in her life. We’ll save her; I promise,” Blade said. “Then I’ll leave you two in peace.”

The red dragon looked at him thoughtfully, the black, pebbly scales on his face furrowed. He had lost most of his anger and appeared to be more agreeable than before.

“Terrin.”

Blade gave him a quizzical look.

“My name is Terrin,” he said. “I’m not sorry, and I hate your guts, but I do need your help, whether I want it or not.”

Blade bared a gentle smile and nodded. “Let’s stop wasting time and devise a plan, then.”

And here is the second to last chapter! No more smut, but lots of story progression!

Unfortunately, with Herpy closing its doors, this will be the last post I make here. It was fun while it lasted, but if you wish to continue following me, my stories are always posted to SoFurry (https://raevocrei.sofurry.com/) and sometimes FurAffinity (http://www.furaffinity.net/user/raevocrei/). Thanks to everyone for reading and being a part of this community! ^^

Asha curled up into a tight ball of feathers to try and keep warm, and she contemplated cuddling Renjee, the equally soft gryphon that she was stuck with. The underground prison had no source of heat, so as time wore on it felt more and more like her feathers would freeze off. Renjee shivered on the other side of the cell.

After learning all she could about her father—all that the gryphon would tell her at least—the only thing she had left to think about was Terrin while she mulled over what came next.

He must be so worried… He’s probably searching every nook and cranny for me, and I’m nowhere to be found. I may end up dying here and he would never know… He would search to the ends of the Earth.

That thought ate at her. It made her want to cry, but she held strong and buried her muzzle in her paws, letting out a big sigh.

She also wondered if her father knew she was missing. Apparently, he and Renjee had come back for a quick visit, but Blade had gone off to another town along the river. Whether or not he had returned to the city was up for question.

Now that she knew why her father had left, the resentment she held toward him had slightly faded. Renjee had explained all of his reasoning that he had shared with him, and it made sense to her, but she still couldn’t shake the fact that he abandoned her and didn’t even try to keep her in his life. She tried to imagine what sort of crime he had committed; from what Renjee had said, it must have been something terrible.

And Renjee was kind of Blade’s mate, her new father, and she didn’t know what to think about that.

A metallic clank echoed down the dank hall from the top of the stairs. She heard the footfalls of humans as well as the rattling of chain armor. Watching five humans stroll into the prison, she gave a low growl.

One of them wore white and gold silken robes and a hood while the other four looked like guards donned with weapons and armor. The fancy one sneered at her as he caught her eyes and stuck his nose all too close to the iron bars of her cell. Had she had any motivation to slice his face off, she would have, but she was too busy shivering.

Then, the black dragon came slinking behind them, keeping a small distance. He glared at the group of humans like they dragged him here on a leash.

“So, this is the beast’s daughter?” the human asked. He inspected her like an animal in a cage, which was exactly how Asha felt being trapped in here.

The dragon responded, “I’ve not seen any other dragon with feathers in the city before, and she looks extremely similar to the descriptions you gave me, as well as the fact that she was at the same location you gave me. It’s far too coincidental for her to be anything but his spawn.”

He stared at her over his long nose, his evil, beady eyes peering at her through the shadow of his hood. “And what of the gryphon?”

Renjee shifted and clacked his beak as those eyes turned to him. Even he knew not to speak in this situation.

Again, the dragon answered, “I am unsure of his relation. He could possibly be his mate.”

“How barbaric,” he scoffed. “Is it common for you beasts to breed with another kin? With the same gender no less?”

Asha hated the way beasts rolled off of his tongue. It was purposely meant to insult them, and it was obvious that he saw them all as animals. If she could have her way, she would bite his face off.

The black dragon, however, didn’t seem affected by his slang. “No, it is not. I assumed this because of what you told me before: that he was the mate of Akir the Thief, another male.”

Asha’s ears perked up. My other father…

“Ah, yes, yes… That would make sense that he would take another after all of these years. I do wonder how attached he is to this gryphon. I can only imagine that he’ll try to wreak even more havoc than the last.”

Renjee looked at her in surprise, and she was surprised at herself. In her mind, she thought about what it would be like to lose Terrin, someone she loved with all of her heart. It would be utterly devastating.

But the human scoffed and gave a hearty laugh. Asha would have torn through the iron bars and slashed his throat into ribbons if she could. Anger boiled inside her; she knew she had to control it—it was what he wanted to see.

“I am certainly going to enjoy the festival this year,” he said, a smug half-smile raising his cheek. “Now! You, dragon,” he said to the black dragon. “You must stay here and guard our prisoners.”

He growled and snarled. “That wasn’t a part of our deal, Alexander. I want what I am due.”

“You have yet to bring me the dragon I want. Instead, you brought me his daughter and his lover. Once I’ve captured him, you will receive your pay.”

The dragon snorted and turned his head. “Very well.”

“Now be a good dragon and keep an eye on these two,” the man mocked and left with his contingent of guards.

Asha glared at the dragon, and he ignored her. Troubling feelings reached out to her from the darkest parts of her mind. Whoever that man was, he was a ranking noble, and he planned on using his power and wealth to punish her father for the crime he committed over a decade ago. Asha would play a role in his capture. It would be her fault when they capture her father.

“What are they planning on doing with us?” she asked the dragon.

He rolled his eyes at her and lay down next to the cell with his head resting on his forepaws. Ignoring her still, he faced the other direction.

Before Asha could lash out angrily at him, Renjee stepped up beside her and gave a soft smile. “Thanks for sticking up for me. I thought that was really brave! You were totally angry, too.”

She sighed and shrugged her wings. “I hate how he thinks he can just treat all of us so poorly.”

“He can and he will,” grumbled the black dragon.

Asha hissed at him. “You’re no better! You would rather sell out your own kin than stand up to him.”

He turned his head and glared at her with piercing red eyes. “There is no standing up to him. There is no fighting him. The world runs by kill or be killed, and frankly, I’m not the one that will be dying. I’m on the side that won’t get me killed while I earn my wealth along the way.”

Asha gritted her teeth and let her tail flick behind her. “What is he planning on doing with us?” she repeated.

It looked like he wouldn’t answer her again, but after a moment of silence, he said, “You’ll be publically executed during the height of the Sun Festival, and he will look like the hero while you’ll both be made out to be villains.”

Asha’s heart sank into a hopeless, abysmal hole. The reality that she was going to die was finally sinking in.

“And most likely your father will be watching. If I know anything about the High Bishop, it’s that he enjoys torturing anyone who’s wronged him… Well, I think he enjoys torturing in general.”

“What did my father do to wrong him?”

He looked at her like she should know the answer already. “First of all, your father’s mate was the leader of the Shadowscales, and together they stole objects worth thousands upon thousands of gold from the temples. Second of all—”

“Wait—Shadowscales?” Asha asked.

He sighed. “I don’t have to answer your questions.”

“Please?”

He let out another exasperated sigh and continued unenthusiastically. “Yes. They were a bunch of feral dragons that stole things and sometimes murdered humans. Akir was their founder, and they still exist today under a new leader. Their whole philosophy was about taking revenge on the humans, and they were a giant thorn in the kingdom’s side. Not so much anymore now that their numbers have dwindled; they’re no more than just a gang of thieves.”

“And my father was a Shadowscale too?”

“No. He had no part in it. From what I had heard, Akir had given himself up to protect your father as a part of a deal. He must not have realized how tainted the humans were—which is silly to think about since his entire organization is based on the fact that humans are the bane of the city. But Blade didn’t give them a chance to prove themselves untrustworthy: he attacked the palace itself and killed many soldiers, one of them happening to be Alexander’s father.”

She paused and glanced at Renjee—he was staring at the ground between his paws. Not even he knew exactly what Blade had done, and the information that her father was a mass-murderer was rather… shocking. More and more questions pressed at her mind, but she knew the dragon’s patience would only answer so many.

“So… We’ll be tortured?”

“If your father gets caught, you most likely will be,” he answered. He looked at her as if to express his sympathy, but his face was almost blank. “Alexander will make him watch. He may do it anyway to lure your father out, if he hasn’t shown himself yet.”

With a pained look, Asha lay down and took a deep breath. Her life would be over soon… and she felt like it had only just begun. She and Terrin were only mates for only a month, and they had just moved into a house together.

Renjee warbled softly and laid a wing over her as he lay next to her. “Hey, it’s okay. Blade is going to save us, and we have nothing to worry about!”

Asha scowled and shook her head. “He is a murderer… He hasn’t been here for me my entire life. Why should I expect him to come save me now?”

He placed a paw on top of hers, but she pulled away and growled. “Because he loves you,” he said. “I… wish he would have told me what he did, but I understand why he did it. I would be angry too if I lost someone I loved that much.”

“It’s his fault I’m stuck in this prison. It’s his fault I’m going to die.”

“That’s the spirit,” the dragon muttered and returned to ignoring them.

“He will save us,” Renjee insisted.

Asha growled and stood up away from the gryphon. “No, don’t you get it? We are going to die.”

Renjee’s ears drooped as he looked away from her.

“Painfully,” she added. “I’m never going to see my mate again. I’ll never see my family again—the family that has always been there for me. I wasted my time—and now my life—trying to find my father. If I had just forgotten about him like Terrin said, I wouldn’t be here.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sniffled and tried to wipe them away. Her legs were trembling, so she lay down again and hid herself under her wings.

Silence. With no other prisoners here, the tunnel they were in had an eerie emptiness to it.

“Hey, scary dragon guy,” Renjee said. “If we pay you triple what the mean human is paying you, will you free us?”

Asha peeked out from under her wings and saw that Renjee had grabbed his attention.

“You’ll pay me fifteen-thousand gold coins?” he scoffed. “I sincerely doubt you have that much gold.”

Renjee fluffed his feathers and nodded. “We do! I-I think... It’s not so much gold coins but a bunch of jewelry and gold bars and diamonds too. It’s like a lot.”

He looked skeptical. “I need proof of this before I even think about saving you.”

“Well, that’s kind of hard with us being in a prison and all… but if you go into our house and look in the dresser by our bed, there are two leather satchels filled with a lot of gold and stuff.”

Asha remembered the satchel her mother had found, the fortune they had yet to entirely spend. She knew the contents of all that was worth two or three thousand gold pieces. If there was more of that somewhere…

The dragon definitely looked interested, but that glimmer in his eye faded. “I’m just as interested in gold as I am staying alive. I could live happily off of five-thousand gold pieces, and all I have to do is watch you two for a couple more days. It’s not worth the risk. Plus, now that you’ve told me where it is, I can just retrieve it after you’ve all been killed.”

“You greedy, slime-bellied lizard!” Asha hissed.

“You’re too kind,” he responded. “No one crosses the bishop and lives. He would hunt me down to the farthest corners of the Earth.”

“My father has lived all of these years. With that kind of money, you wouldn’t need to live here anymore; you could run away and hide.”

“If you haven’t noticed, your father is most likely going to die soon, along with you and your friend,” he replied. “Alexander is one of the most powerful beings I know. There is no escaping him.”

Asha growled and snapped her maw shut. It’s only because he came back that this whole thing happened.

“You’ll see,” Renjee said confidently.

“You realize I’ll stop him if he comes anywhere near you two, right? And before he can get to me, there are triple the normal amount of guards upstairs.”

Renjee either didn’t care or had lost his mind. He was smiling and nodding his head, but he didn’t seem to be paying the black dragon any attention. Asha sighed and settled down. She closed her eyes tight and tried to think of something other than her impending doom.

But that wasn’t possible.

* * *

Blade and Terrin waited next to the palace district in a secluded alleyway. Once night fell, they would make their move and sneak just over the wall so they could patrol the area and scope it out for the next part of their plan. They sat across from each other in an awkward silence.

Terrin’s attitude toward Blade had softened considerably, but he could still sense some resentment coming from him. Blade couldn’t blame him—he knew he deserved it.

But he was genuinely surprised when Terrin started a conversation with him.

“So… You like other males?” Terrin asked as he picked at the ground with his claws.

Blade chuckled and nodded his head. “Females too, but you don’t have to worry about me trying to get under your tail. You’re my daughter’s mate after all, and that would be weird.”

The red dragon made a face at that and scrunched his brow. “What’s it like? To uhm… with a male…”

A big grin spread his lips. “You’re curious about trying it?”

Terrin’s eyes popped open and he shook his head back and forth. “N-no! Nothing like that… just was wondering what it… felt like. Or why you took another male as a mate. Asha is my mate, anyway, and she is all I need.”

Blade’s thoughts roamed to Akir. They had spent quite a few times in situations like this, where they were waiting for the night to come to sneak or break into something somewhere. It hadn’t occurred to Blade that he would be doing something like this again, all of these years later—without his mate.

He scratched lines into the dirt and continued to wear a big smile as he reminisced about the times when he was younger. “For the same reasons you took Asha as your mate. You love her with all of your heart, right?”

He looked at Blade thoughtfully and nodded.

“We felt the same way about each other. I spent my entire life with Akir. We were always together, and I never wanted to leave his side. I loved him more than I had ever loved anyone else, and it just made sense that we would become mates. Pleasure is pleasure, and it was something we could share together. Gender didn’t matter to us; we just loved each other.”

Terrin nodded in understanding. “I see…”

“And to describe to you how it feels, you would just have to find out for yourself,” Blade teased with a wink. “Most males never know about this, but there’s a special spot inside you that feels really good when it gets rubbed by a cock.”

“Okay, okay, okay, that’s too much information,” Terrin said and covered his ears.

Blade laughed and looked up at the sky. It was getting darker, and in another hour they could set their initial plan in motion. What Blade was looking for were patrols, how often they came around, and if there was any way to slip past them under the cover of night.

Since Asha and Renjee had been captured by the High Bishop, it only made sense that they would be in the palace’s dungeon. There was no way they could fight their way there and make it out alive, so the best idea was to stealthily sneak in and out. But Blade hardly knew the layout of the palace; ferals and most two-legs weren’t allowed inside it, and the only time he had ever set a paw in there was when he was blinded by rage. He didn’t remember any of the details.

Blade looked over to Terrin and saw him staring at him, a question at his mouth ready to be asked. He looked somber. “What is it?” Blade asked. “More questions about males?”

Terrin opened his maw and then shook his head, glancing away. “No…”

“We have a little more time to kill. What is it?”

He winced at avoided meeting Blade’s eyes. “How do you… cope? How do you continue living without your mate?”

Blade clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. “That’s not something you will ever have to worry about. We will save Asha and Renjee.”

Terrin nodded and his hard, chiseled expression returned. “This changes nothing between us,” he stated, having returned to his normal behavior. “Once this is over, you need to leave.”

Blade sighed and agreed. “You two will have to leave too. You’ll need to go somewhere else or else they will find you.”

Terrin grimaced. He hadn’t thought of that. “If you’re hoping we’ll decide to come with you, you are wrong.”

“As long as you’re both safe, I don’t care where you go,” he replied, frowning. “Take your families with you.”

The red dragon’s expression shifted. He looked troubled with worry-lines etching his muzzle, but he didn’t say anything. Both of them remained in silence until the cold darkness came and disguised them.

Moving quickly and silently, Terrin followed behind Blade as they climbed over the palace wall. Even after all of these years, there was a small area left almost unguarded; two tall buildings blocked them from view. As long there wasn’t anyone on the street behind the wall, it was safe.

They slinked between the two tall buildings and Blade peeked around the corner. There was one patrol marching with a bright, glowing lantern. These would be the hardest guards to slip past, and it looked like there would be a lot of them.

Blade knew humans couldn’t see as well as dragons generally, but the nighttime was especially difficult for them. Unfortunately, at this time of the year the darkness would only last for a pawful of hours before the sun would rise again, so they had a limited amount of time to study the guards—and the next night, they would have even less time.

After the guards had walked past, Blade led Terrin into a small alleyway that connected to other backstreets in this south-eastern sector. The palace district was evenly divided into four different sectors while the palace itself rested in the middle of all of them. The spires of it could be seen from here, towering above the domed roof.

Humans typically stuck to a schedule based on the day and night cycle; ferals didn’t particularly follow the same pattern, but no one liked to be out in the dark anyway. It was when criminals would prowl the streets, just as Blade and Terrin were doing now. Blade worried that a stray human would catch them and alert the guards, but thankfully it seemed that everyone was asleep.

The two of them quickly dashed across an open, cobblestone street, and dived into another passageway surrounded by houses. When they approached the other end, the backside of the palace came into view.

There were guards everywhere. They were spread out evenly to cover every angle that Blade could see, and there were archers up in small wooden towers. And there were lights surrounding the palace so not one patch of shadows existed. Sneaking in through here was hopeless, and Blade could only imagine how even more difficult sneaking in through the front would be. Maybe there were doors along the side?

“Are there usually this many guards?” Terrin wondered aloud.

Blade shook his head. “No… They’re expecting me.”

“What’s the plan now?”

“We have to find another way in… but I don’t know where or how.”

They continued around the palace, clinging closely to houses so they wouldn’t be caught. Blade’s heart thudded in his chest; this was dangerous. If they were caught, he wasn’t sure if they would be able to escape before they were surrounded. Even if they flew, there were archers everywhere, and a single arrow had the potential to knock them out of the sky.

The sides of the palace were well-guarded too. It seemed impenetrable.

Blade gave a heavy sigh.

“Now what are we going to do?” Terrin pressed. “Have we already failed?”

Blade shook his head. “Worst-case-scenario, we’ll rescue them before the festivities begin. We have time. Don’t panic.”

“We do not have time,” Terrin hissed. “We have only one whole day left before then. The longer we wait, the higher the chance of her rescue failing. Diving into a public execution is suicide.”

“You think I’m not anxious to save them too?” Blade growled in a hushed voice. “We have to stay calm or we’ll make mistakes.”

Akir had taught him everything he needed to know about high-risk situations. Those were his exact words to Blade many years ago, and ever since then Blade had learned to keep calm in most situations. It was best to pick the time to strike than to miss an opportunity and be struck first. As long as they had the element of surprise, they clung to a small advantage.

Terrin glared at him but didn’t say another word.

Then, a door opened in a corridor behind them, and a light came spilling out of it. Blade shifted into the shadows and motioned for Terrin to do the same, huddling against a wall. Someone with a lantern came wandering out, a sword in the other hand—they must have heard Blade and Terrin.

Slowly, the human crept toward them. He was dressed in his night clothes, something easy that two dragons could tear through, but Blade wasn’t interested in killing an innocent man, and being spotted by him ran the risk of getting caught by the guards all around. But, he came closer and closer, and his pathway would lead him past the corner where they were hiding.

Blade glanced behind them. The only other way out was into the main street, where there were guards everywhere. He peaked around the corner and saw the man getting closer. His paws shifted uncertainly, wings unfurling at his sides.

And then Terrin jumped out of hiding and pounced on the man. A gut-wrenching scream pierced the night before Terrin clawed out his throat, and the sounds that came after that were even more bloodcurdling.

“Why did you kill him!?” Blade hissed angrily.

“Because you weren’t going to do it and something needed to be done!” Terrin growled back.

Blade heard armor rattling and clanking as guards ran to their position. He cursed and shoved Terrin to the way they had come.

“Move, now!”

Shouts of distress called out until they were surrounded in voices. They sprinted down an alleyway, cut across a street where guards were swarming, and ran to the farthest edge of the district. Already, there were archers all over the wall, and there wasn’t any other way out. Footfalls echoed off the walls around them, and it was only a matter of time before they were surrounded.

“If we fly straight up, no one can touch us,” Terrin said and was nearly about to jump.

“No!” Blade shouted and grabbed his tail. “There’s a magical barrier that protects the district, and if you fly too high you’ll get caught by it and most likely fall to your death.”

“You really believe that? That was a fable made up so we wouldn’t bother the humans!”

Blade shook his head. “No, it’s true. Akir knew it and warned me, and now I’m warning you. We have to go quickly over the wall and stay low.”

Terrin growled his disapproval, but he followed Blade anyway. Blade wasn’t keen on getting shot at either, but he’d rather take an arrow than risk being paralyzed mid-flight.

He sprinted toward the wall, and they were spotted almost immediately by the several archers manning the walkway. An arrow whizzed past Blade and skidded off the cobblestone before another few followed it. With a giant leap, Blade extended his wings and gave one powerful beat and propelled himself up onto the wall.

An arrow embedded itself into his side and pain shot through his body. He heard Terrin growl before the cries of a human suddenly cut off; a body fell over the wall with a thud. Blade jumped down and softened his landing, but he was struck by another arrow that buried itself in a hind leg. A couple more nearly hit him, and one grazed his neck before he scrambled for cover and ducked into an alley in the two-leg district.

Terrin was behind him, and they ran through the buildings, weaving in and out until the wall was far from them and the archers out of sight. He wasn’t sure if the guards would give chase or not, but he knew it would be nearly impossible for them to be found again.

Blade limped to a stop and hissed as he bit off the arrows stuck in his flesh, leaving the metal heads in so he could treat them later. Terrin only had a couple scrapes since his scales were hard enough to have the arrows glance off his hide.

“What did you want me to do, then?” Terrin snarled. “He was going to find us anyway, and I almost had him before he yelled.”

Blade bit his tongue and wondered what he could have done differently. His first instinct was to kill him, too, to keep him from squealing like a pig, so he couldn’t blame Terrin. He snorted a huff of air and continued sneaking through the market district. They quickly skulked back to the feral district, to Terrin’s home.

“We’ll have to figure something out tomorrow,” Blade said. They made it back safely to home. “Do you know of any other ways into the palace or have any friends that might?”

Blade gritted his teeth and wandered over to the water supply, taking linen scraps with him to bandage himself again. He winced in pain and hissed as he dug his claws into his flesh and dug out the arrowheads.

“Although… Maybe Vespera’s mate does. Ash said that he used to run with the wrong crowd before he became mated to her mother.”

Blade wrapped the cloth around his wounds and tied it tight to keep from losing more blood. “Vespera has a mate?”

Terrin looked at him and nodded. “You seem surprised.”

Blade let out a small chuckle and shrugged his wings. “She never seemed like one to settle down with one dragon.”

Terrin grunted and turned to the door. “We’ll talk with them tomorrow. Right now, I have to check on my own mother… I’ll be back soon.”

Blade noticed a sad look in his eyes, but he nodded and let him go.

Taking the moment to relax, he let out a sigh and flopped onto his back to get comfortable in some fur bedding. He wished Renjee was here. To cuddle and snuggle his gryphon friend and enjoy that warmth again… He wanted nothing more.

After their failure to find a way into the palace, Blade grew increasingly worried about losing Renjee. He knew he couldn’t handle that. Losing Akir brought him to the very edge, where he danced with death and pulled back just in time. In the process, he had lost most of his heart and soul. If Renjee died, there wouldn’t be enough of him left to keep moving on. That would be the end of him.

Blade elicited a soft whimper and curled up into a tight ball.

And he would lose Asha, his only daughter, the one he abandoned when she was just a hatchling. He had been so careful not to reveal himself… and yet he failed. It was his fault both his daughter and lover were about to die.

He took in a deep breath and let it all out. It was a struggle to find sleep, but he eventually managed before Terrin returned.

Blade took a nervous gulp as he approached Vespera’s new home with Terrin beside him. He wondered how Vespera had changed since he last saw her, and he also worried about what she would think about him, since he had abandoned Asha with her.

He stood back as Terrin knocked on the door. Inside, Blade heard dragonets squeaking and scratching around, and a green muzzle with a black snout tip appeared in the window.

“It’s Terrin!” he shouted and scrambled out of the window and jumped onto Terrin.

He meeped and shook his head. “Nuh uh! You’re big and strong, so I can’t crush you!” Then his head cocked toward Blade, inspecting him with a glowing curiosity only a dragonet could show. “Who’s this!? He’s got feathers like Asha!”

Two more dragonets jumped out of the other window, their colors a mixture of black and gold. They were excited to see Terrin too and danced around his feet before their attention turned to Blade. Both of them nervously peeked around Terrin’s legs.

“This is Blade,” Terrin said. He hesitated, unsure of whether or not to explain to the dragonets who he exactly was. “He is Asha’s dad.”

“Woooah, no way!” the biggest one exclaimed from Terrin’s back.

Then, the door finally opened, and Vespera’s familiar face appeared. Aside from looking just a little bit older and more mature, her appearance had hardly changed. She greeted Terrin with a nuzzle before she glanced at Blade. And then she did a double-take.

“Blade!?”

Blade bared a soft yet uneasy smile and dipped his head. “Vespera.”

She stepped to him and wrapped her wings around him in an embrace, a tight squeeze following after. “Oh dear gods, I’m so, so, so sorry. I can’t believe you’re still alive. Aaaahhh, I’m so sorry…”

Blade froze; he didn’t know how to react. What was she sorry for? He should be the one apologizing to her.

“You must miss him terribly. I can’t even fathom how much it had hurt you,” she continued. “You poor thing…”

And then he realized what she was talking about: Akir. Blade winced and nuzzled into her neck. Thoughts of his mate hit him like a sack of bricks. “I do… I miss him a lot… but I’m okay.” He gently pulled away and looked at her somberly. “There are more pressing matters at hand.”

She made a glance at Terrin and back to him, a glimpse of realization in her eyes. “Where’s Asha?”

“That’s what we need to talk to you about,” Terrin said. The green dragonet climbed down from him and joined the other two; they quieted down considerably as they became more attentive, ears perked.

A soft smile curled Vespera’s lips as she rubbed his snout with hers. “I know you are, but this is for us adults to handle, okay? I need you to keep a look after your brothers.”

He sniffled and nodded dutifully. “Okay, I will.” He and the two littlest ones went inside, but moments later Blade saw that same black nose poking out at the window.

Blade clawed at the ground and shifted his wings as Vespera’s attention returned to him. “I can’t be more sorry for what I’ve done. Everything is my fault.”

“I know, Blade. It’s okay,” she said. “What are we going to do?”

“Well, Blade and I are looking for a way into the palace to go unseen. We need to sneak inside. Would Neil be able to help us?”

Vespera grinned and nodded. “I think so. He’s told me stories about how he’s been in the palace before, and how extravagant it is. But I don’t know where he is right now… He said he would be back before long.”

“We need to hurry,” Blade added. “Tomorrow is… when they plan on executing her, or worse.”

She pinned her ears back and frowned. “B-but why? She didn’t do anything wrong… right?”

“It’s because he came back,” Terrin accused. “They’re using her to get back at him for what he did.”

Blade nodded slowly. He felt terrible, and that gnawing feeling bit his gut harder and harder, tearing apart his insides. The way Terrin glared at him only made it worse, and when Vespera looked at him with sadness in her eyes, it made him want to bury himself in the sand and never come back up.

“They have my friend, too…” Blade added, his thoughts eating at him.

Was it hopeless? Even if they found a way into the palace, how were they going to get out?

Maybe we’re going at it the wrong way… What if we fail and I end up getting all of us killed?

Vespera rubbed her snout against his. “It’s okay, Blade. It will… it will be okay,” she said uncertainly. That didn’t sit right in Blade’s stomach. “I may have an idea of where Neil is. You two wait here for him and I’ll be back shortly.”

They nodded and watched her take to the sky. The hot sun beat down on them before the stepped into the house and joined the dragonets. The three of them appeared less excited now than they initially had been.

“Where Sis go?” one of the younger ones asked.

Terrin nuzzled him and plopped down on his side, letting the three of them curl up against him. Blade wore a soft smile and took the moment to rest across the room from them.

“She’s fine. We’re going to go get her soon and bring her back home,” he answered.

Blade was glad to see that Terrin made a good fatherly figure. It made him hopeful for his and Asha’s hatchlings, if they ever decided to have some of their own… if the next day went as hoped.

When Vespera returned, she brought along with her a gold-colored dragon. His scales were the colors of the desert, a variety of different yellow-hues. Thicker scales protected his limbs like armor in a dark, sandy color.

And when he turned his head, Blade saw a row of scars right below his eye. It suddenly clicked in his head that he recognized this dragon, and from the strange look he gave Blade, he recognized him too. Blade couldn’t remember where he had met this dragon before, but he was certain that he had seen him on more than one occasion.

“You have need of me?” he asked Terrin.

The red dragon nodded. “We need to know how to sneak in and out of the palace. Asha is in the dungeon… We need to rescue her.”

He shot both Blade and Terrin an uncertain glance and rustled his wings. “It’s easier getting in than it is getting out. Once you’re in, you can’t let a single soul see you or else it will be very difficult to get out. You need help, and we need to plan this thoroughly.”

“We don’t have enough time to make a thorough plan,” Terrin said. “We need to break in tonight or we’ll have to wait until noon tomorrow when it’ll be even harder.”

Neil furrowed his brow and walked over to a stone table molded into the wall. “Vespera and I can help you. There is a drainage pipe that leads out of the city from the inner part of the palace, but finding it is rather difficult, and you can only come out of it—it’s impossible to use it to sneak inside. It has magical traps set to capture trespassers, but I can disable them myself. That will be your way out.”

He grabbed a sheet of parchment and dipped his claws in an inkwell, beginning to draw lines on the paper. Blade and Terrin stepped over to him while Vespera gave her attention to the dragonets.

“But how do we get in?” Blade asked.

“Akir never told you?”

Blade gulped and shook his head. He knew Akir…

“There is an herb that nullifies the magical barrier surrounding the district. It would normally paralyze you, but if you chew on this special root, the magic won’t affect you.”

“So there is an actual magical barrier?” Terrin asked incredulously.

Neil nodded and pointed to a wooden storage box in the corner. “Check the bottom right compartment.”

Terrin stepped over and pulled out a lanky root. He made a face and brought it over. It had a powerful, bitter odor that clung to it, which made Blade want to plug his nose.

“Everyone will need to consume at least a small part of this in order to enter and exit the barrier. A small branch is enough to last for ten minutes, which will be about the time it will take to traverse the drainage pipe. You will be able to fly in no problem, so only eat a tiny part of it as to not waste it. These are hard to come by, so do not lose it.”

He finished scribbling and opened the sheet of paper to them. On it was a crudely-drawn map of the palace with a couple circles around key points. “You will want to fly in here at the center. It will have maybe have one guard that patrols close to the area, but no one expects intruders to come from here. After you infiltrate, it will be up to you two to use your best intuition to make your way here to the dungeons. There are always guards at the entrance, so be wary.”

We’ll have to kill them, Blade realized. There’s no way we can get out of this without shedding blood.

“Could we cause a diversion to draw out some of the guards?” Blade asked, remembering a few missions Akir brought him along on.

Neil considered it, but then he shook his head. “They’re expecting you, yes? Instead of drawing guards away, a distraction like that would most likely cause them to group around the dungeon’s entrance and make it impossible for you two to sneak inside.”

Blade nodded with a frown.

“Unfortunately,” Neil continued, “the prison cells are sealed by magic. There is no physical key. So, the only way you will be able to free Asha is if you take this crystal and break it against the magical seal.” He handed Terrin a shiny, blue stone. “It should be fairly obvious what the seal will look like.”

“After you free her, you will want to make your way back up to the main floor and cut straight to here. At his point, I imagine you will have upset the entire palace unless you are skilled assassins, so be as quick as you can. In this area should be a small entry down a pit into the drainage pipe. Once you’re there, just be as fast as you can and Vespera and I will be waiting for you at the end.”

Both of them nodded in understanding.

Blade scratched at the floor and took in a deep breath. “After all of this is over… We all need to leave the city.”

Neil glared at him. “I’ve been doing this for over a decade and have never been caught or recognized. There is no reason for us to leave.”

Blade gritted his teeth and shook his head. “You don’t understand. This… High Bishop… is dedicated to destroying me. If our plan succeeds, he will only come at me stronger, and if he finds out who helped me, he’ll make all of us suffer. I can’t… I can’t handle that responsibility…”

Terrin and Neil looked at him in contempt. Neither one of them wanted to leave their lives behind, and Blade understood that fully well, but it made his heart ache to think about the terrible things that could happen—and it would all be his fault.

Everything was his fault.

“We’ll worry about that after we’ve rescued Asha and Renjee,” Terrin stated. “Let’s get some rest before we go over this one more time. Once night falls, we’ll make our move.”

They all agreed and dispersed throughout the house to rest.

Blade closed his eyes, but all he could see were the haunting nightmares of his past, and the restless visions of his future. One wrong move and everything would fail. He ran through every scenario and situation he could think about, imagining the worst possibilities. Most of them ended in Asha and Renjee’s deaths while some of them were painful visions of his own and Terrin’s.

“You’ve grown,” Vespera said and lay beside him.

Blade shook his head free of those vicious thoughts and wore a solemn face, ears drooping. “You have too.”

A warm wing blanketed him and pulled him closer. “You have a lot of scars, Blade—inside and out. I can see how they hurt you.”

Blade turned his head and clenched his claws. “Is it… Is it that obvious?”

She rubbed her snout into his neck and laid a paw on top of his. “I don’t blame you.”

He looked at her and met her eyes. He saw her sincerity, but his own emotions rebuked her words. “How can you not? I left Asha on your doorstep, and the moment I return, I take her away from you and put her in serious danger. She may lose her life, and it’s because of me.”

“Don’t say that, Blade. You couldn’t have known that this would happen. I know how much you still care for her. I remember the joy I saw in you when she was just a little hatchling, fresh out of the egg. For you to have abandoned her… I knew it was your last resort. I knew it tore you apart. We are going to save her.”

What she said was true, but her words could hardly calm his spirit. “You’ve changed a lot, Vespera.”

“As have you, Blade.” She squeezed his paw and gave his cheek a soft kiss. “Everything is going to be okay.”

Blade only stared at the floor between his paws, his eyes moving and following visions none could see but him. Vespera left to curl up with Neil, leaving Blade to himself to search for rest, but he never found it.

The sun descended lower toward the western horizon, leaving an orange and pink concoction obscuring the blue sky. They went over the plan one more time and worked out any kinks, and with all of the questions answered, it was time to begin.

Blade swallowed hard and looked at the palace sitting in the distance, his heart thrumming. Will we succeed?